evolutionary

[ ev-uh-loo-shuh-ner-eeor, especially British, ee-vuh- ]

adjective

1. pertaining to evolution or development; developmental:

   the evolutionary origin of species.

2. of, relating to, or in accordance with a theory of evolution, especially in biology.
3. pertaining to or performing evolutions.

Other Words From

• evo·lution·ari·ly adverb
• anti·evo·lution·ary adjective
• nonev·o·lution·ary adjective
• preev·o·lution·ary adjective
• proev·o·lution·ary adjective
• unev·o·lution·ary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of evolutionary¹

First recorded in 1840–50; evolution + -ary

Example Sentences

The study aimed to digitally reconstruct the brain of the bird, which it has named Navaornis hestiae, to determine the evolutionary origins of the modern avian brain.

From BBC

Population Stabilization, or SUSPS, and assembled a roster of notable supporters including the Harvard evolutionary biologist E.O.

From Salon

But some of the bird's unique evolutionary traits are clashing with human interventions, making it vulnerable to extinction.

From BBC

“Those early kind of signals can be helpful for understanding the progression of the fungus, of where it’s getting to,” said Winifred Frick, chief scientist at Bat Conservation International and an adjunct professor in ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz.

From Los Angeles Times

Both strains are H5N1; they just followed slightly different evolutionary trajectories, which is reflected in their genetic sequence.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• developmental
• metamorphic
• mutative
• transformative