evolve
Americanverb (used with object)
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to develop gradually.
to evolve a scheme.
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to give off or emit, as odors or vapors.
verb (used without object)
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to come forth gradually into being; develop; undergo evolution.
The whole idea evolved from a casual remark.
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to gradually change one's opinions or beliefs.
candidates who are still evolving on the issue;
an evolved feminist mom.
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Biology. to develop by a process of evolution to a different adaptive state or condition.
The human species evolved from an ancestor that was probably arboreal.
verb
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to develop or cause to develop gradually
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(intr) (of animal or plant species) to undergo evolution
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(tr) to yield, emit, or give off (heat, gas, vapour, etc)
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To undergo biological evolution, as in the development of new species or new traits within a species.
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To develop a characteristic through the process of evolution.
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To undergo change and development, as the structures of the universe.
Other Word Forms
- evolvable adjective
- evolvement noun
- evolver noun
- nonevolving adjective
- self-evolved adjective
- self-evolving adjective
- unevolved adjective
Etymology
Origin of evolve
First recorded in 1635–45; from Latin ēvolvere “to unroll, open, unfold,” equivalent to ē- e- 1 + volvere “to roll, turn”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“We appreciate that some people are still haunted by memories of the past,” the company said, “but the U.S. nuclear industry evolved and improved.”
Its military has evolved its higher command arrangements, experimented with new force structures and built new drone units and tactics.
"But the quantities in which we consume it is triggering pathways our bodies didn't evolve to handle."
From Science Daily
As palates evolve, its next chapter is just beginning.
From Salon
Early forms likely slipped through the undergrowth beneath the feet of dinosaurs and succeeded by evolving a variety of strategies for capturing prey.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
