evolve

verb

i-ˈvälv 

-ˈvȯlv,

ē-,

 also  -ˈväv,

 or  -ˈvȯv

evolved; evolving

transitive verb

1

: emit

2

a

: derive, educe

b

: to produce by natural evolutionary processes

c

: develop, work out

evolve social, political, and literary philosophies

—L. W. Doob

intransitive verb

: to undergo evolutionary change

evolvable

i-ˈväl-və-bəl 

-ˈvȯl-

ē-

 also  -ˈvä-və-

 or  -ˈvȯ-və-

adjective

evolvement

i-ˈvälv-mənt 

-ˈvȯlv-

ē-

 also  -ˈväv-

 or  -ˈvȯv-

noun

Synonyms

• unfold
• grow
• develop
• progress

Examples of evolve in a Sentence

Her company has evolved from a hobby into a thriving business.

Some flowers have evolved remarkable means of insect pollination.

Recent Examples on the Web

The tight end position has evolved significantly, but there’s still a little old-fashioned magic to it. —Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025

The mom-to-be, now in the final stretch of her first pregnancy, shared that her feelings about becoming a mother had evolved over time. —Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025

The post has evolved into All the Cool Girls Get Fired, a rollicking, joyful self-help book and how-to guide, that aims to empower and inform women amidst the turbulent job market of the 2020s. —Hadley Meares, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025

Roots in Humanism Founded in 1956 as a religious film week, Seminci evolved into Spain’s bastion of socially conscious cinema. —Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin ēvolvere "to roll out or away, unwind, unroll, narrate (a series of events)," from ē-, variant of ex- ex- entry 1 before voiced consonants + volvere "to set in a circular course, cause to roll, bring round" — more at wallow entry 1

First Known Use

1772, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for evolve

• absolve
• devolve
• dissolve
• involve
• resolve
• revolve
• solve

Kids Definition

evolve

verb

i-ˈvälv 

-ˈvȯlv

evolved; evolving

1

: to develop or work out from something else

evolved a new plan

evolved a safer design from the old one

2

: to produce by a process of evolution

3

: to change by a process of evolution

evolvable

i-ˈväl-və-bəl 

-ˈvȯl-

adjective

Medical Definition

evolve

verb

i-ˈvälv, -ˈvȯlv 

evolved; evolving

transitive verb

: to produce by natural evolutionary processes

intransitive verb

: to develop by or as if by evolution : undergo evolutionary change

an evolving theory of mental functioning

—S. A. Green