Nominal Forms
Infinitive: to devolve
Participle: devolved
Gerund: devolving
Cognates
-
Indicative
Present
| I | devolve |
| you | devolve |
| he;she;it | devolves |
| we | devolve |
| you | devolve |
| they | devolve |
Perfect
| I | have devolved |
| you | have devolved |
| he;she;it | has devolved |
| we | have devolved |
| you | have devolved |
| they | have devolved |
Past
| I | devolved |
| you | devolved |
| he;she;it | devolved |
| we | devolved |
| you | devolved |
| they | devolved |
Pluperfect
| I | had devolved |
| you | had devolved |
| he;she;it | had devolved |
| we | had devolved |
| you | had devolved |
| they | had devolved |
Future
| I | will devolve |
| you | will devolve |
| he;she;it | will devolve |
| we | will devolve |
| you | will devolve |
| they | will devolve |
Future Perfect
| I | will have devolved |
| you | will have devolved |
| he;she;it | will have devolved |
| we | will have devolved |
| you | will have devolved |
| they | will have devolved |
Subjunctive
Present
| I | devolve |
| you | devolve |
| he;she;it | devolve |
| we | devolve |
| you | devolve |
| they | devolve |
Perfect
| I | have devolved |
| you | have devolved |
| he;she;it | have devolved |
| we | have devolved |
| you | have devolved |
| they | have devolved |
Imperfect
| I | devolved |
| you | devolved |
| he;she;it | devolved |
| we | devolved |
| you | devolved |
| they | devolved |
Pluperfect
| I | had devolved |
| you | had devolved |
| he;she;it | had devolved |
| we | had devolved |
| you | had devolved |
| they | had devolved |
Conditional
Present
| I | would devolve |
| you | would devolve |
| he;she;it | would devolve |
| we | would devolve |
| you | would devolve |
| they | would devolve |
Perfect
| I | would have devolved |
| you | would have devolved |
| he;she;it | would have devolved |
| we | would have devolved |
| you | would have devolved |
| they | would have devolved |
Imperative
| you | devolve |
| we | Let's devolve |
| you | devolve |
Verbs conjugated like 'devolve'
abacinate,
abalienate,
abase,
abate,
abbreviate,
abdicate,
abduce,
aberrate,
aberuncate,
abirritate,
abjudge,
abjudicate,
abjugate,
abjure,
ablactate,
ablaqueate,
able,
ablegate,
abligate,
abnegate, etc. (List truncated at 20 verbs)
Verbs similar to 'devolve'
devove,
evolve,
revolve,
coevolve,
delve,
devalue,
devive,
devoice,
devolute,
devorce,
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
- to become worse
- break down, decline, degenerate, deteriorate, fade, fall off, go bad, go downhill, go off, go to hell, go to pot, go to seed, go to the dogs, lapse, molder, retrograde, shrivel, suffer, worsen, wane, wither
Additional Information
Etymology
1. c.1420, from L.
devolvere "to roll down," from
de- +
volvere "to roll" (see vulva).
2. Etymology tree
3. Proto-Indo-European *de
4. Proto-Indo-European *-h₁
5. Proto-Indo-European *déh₁
6. Proto-Italic *dē
7. Latin dē
8. Latin dē-
9. Proto-Indo-European *welH-der.
10. Proto-Italic *wolwō
11. Latin volvō
12. Latin dēvolvōbor.
13. English devolve
14. Borrowed from Latin dēvolvō (“roll or tumble off or down”), from dē- + volvō (“roll”).
Verbs referencing "devolve"
Spanish
devolver.
Sample Sentences
-
an accident […] rendered him permanently lame, and therefore unfitted him, in the opinion of his parents, to inherit his father's many titles, which, it was then arranged, should devolve upon his younger brother. [1932, Duff Cooper, Talleyrand, Folio Society, published 2010, page 4:]
-
Near-synonyms: pass down, pass on, hand down
-
Despite being a unitary state, the Government of the United Kingdom devolved many matters to the Governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
-
They devolved their whole authority into the hands of the council of sixty. [1704, Joseph Addison, Remarks on Several Parts of Italy:]
-
An artful man became popular, the people had power in their hands, and they devolved a considerable share of their power upon their favourite […]. [1756, Edmund Burke, A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful:]
-
Shapps retains responsibility for rail safety in Scotland, with only the operation of track and train devolved to Transport Scotland. [2020 August 26, “Network News: Shapps orders rapid review of flash flood resilience from NR”, in Rail, page 8:]
-
For the nonce he was rather nonplussed but inasmuch as the duty plainly devolved upon him to take some measures on the subject he pondered suitable ways and means during which Stephen repeatedly yawned. [, Episode 16]
-
Many legislative powers devolved to the new Scottish parliament in 1999.
-
A discussion about politics may devolve into a shouting match.
-
Near-synonyms: unwind, unfurl
-
every headlong stream / Devolves its winding waters to the main. [1744, Mark Akenside, The Pleasures of the Imagination, section II:]
-
He spake of virtue […] And with […] a lack-lustre dead-blue eye, Devolved his rounded periods. [1830, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Character:]