as in deterioration
a change to a lower state or level
the gradual devolution of the neighborhood from a thriving community of close-knit families to a drug-ridden slum
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devolution
Keys to economic rejuvenation in these left-behind places are the devolution of decision-making powers to local and regional authorities, as well as having sufficient financial resources to implement the resulting bottom-up decisions.
—
Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
Schematic plot aside, Gigolo succeeds as a profile of a pleasure provider whose generosity masks a thin veneer of loneliness, and Gere persuasively sells his character’s devolution from desirable man to out-of-work prostitute after his fancy clients hang him out to dry.
6.
—Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2025
This phenomenon will begin to impact chronic disease management and progressively more complex conditions and will accelerate devolution of care and responsibility for many conditions to the patient — who is often best placed to understand their own health.
—Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 31 Dec. 2024
Maybe the game won't sync across platforms, and the impedance of having to start all over will be enough to prevent notable devolution.
—Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 5 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for devolution
Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
Schematic plot aside, Gigolo succeeds as a profile of a pleasure provider whose generosity masks a thin veneer of loneliness, and Gere persuasively sells his character’s devolution from desirable man to out-of-work prostitute after his fancy clients hang him out to dry.
6.
—Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2025
This phenomenon will begin to impact chronic disease management and progressively more complex conditions and will accelerate devolution of care and responsibility for many conditions to the patient — who is often best placed to understand their own health.
—Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 31 Dec. 2024
Maybe the game won't sync across platforms, and the impedance of having to start all over will be enough to prevent notable devolution.
—Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 5 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for devolution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devolution
Noun
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Sulzberger writes passionately about the existential threats facing a free press, from economic collapse to political intimidation, and how journalism must stand as a bulwark in a time of profound civic deterioration.—
Jessica Sibley,
Time,
19 May 2025
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On modern iPhones, Apple has a feature called Charge Limit that works as an opt-in feature limiting your phone to 80% charge to help reduce the deterioration of the battery.—
James Peckham,
PC Magazine,
13 May 2025
Noun
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Violence, corruption and environmental degradation have saturated the avocado trade there, causing the U.S. to briefly stop imports and senators to agitate for action by the federal government.—
Daniel Miller,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2025
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These trade shifts are causing environmental degradation.—
Simi Thambi,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Noun
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But there are also other factors contributing to the job decline, such as price compression caused by oversupply, which has forced many operators to cut costs, including labor expenses.—
Dario Sabaghi,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
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That's when crossings at the border first began their sharp decline, a trend that accelerated after Trump took office.—
Lauren Villagran,
USA Today,
26 May 2025
Noun
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Where corporate criminal investigations resolve without filing any criminal charges (through a declination or deferred prosecution agreement), companies should expect victims to still voice their views loudly to the Justice Department and beyond.—
Lisa Zornberg,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
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The changing declination also defines the daily arc that the sun takes across the sky, thereby accounting for the length of daylight.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Sam Morelos On Their Filipino Heritage And All The Philippine Elements In Summer Of 69 Like Morelos, Abby Flores is of Filipino descent, but the character wasn’t originally written that way in the script.—
Regina Kim,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
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The system, according to an order outlining the President’s expectations back in January, is expected to intercept missiles during any of four stages of an attack: before launch, early flight, midcourse flight, and descent towards a target.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Devolution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolution. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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