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
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Recent Examples of devolution
And as Abundance explores in detail, the devolution of systems to local control produces policies that can be locally popular but nationally disastrous.
—
Kelsey Piper, Vox, 28 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for devolution
Kelsey Piper, Vox, 28 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for devolution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devolution
Noun
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Respondents perceive a significant reduction in the probability of a severe deterioration in economic prospects.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
17 June 2025
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Rossetti had been working on the CONCERN Study, which had successfully developed an AI model to detect patient deterioration in the hospital setting.—
Alexis Kayser,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
Noun
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This natural degradation in data characteristics means an AI that once performed well might start making errors as its environment evolves.—
Ronen Cojocaru,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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Despite the degradation of its military capabilities, Iran can leverage proxies, criminal organizations abroad, and cyberattacks to hit Israeli, and possibly U.S., targets.—
Nakissa Jahanbani,
The Conversation,
20 June 2025
Noun
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Cheng Xin/Getty Images New home prices fell 0.22 percent in 70 Chinese cities in May, the largest decline in seven months, according to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
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In both Central American nations, remittance income accounts for 30% of private consumption and any decline will have a direct effect on gross domestic product, GDP, Orozco said.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
19 June 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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Begin the descent into the canyon, which is shaded by eucalyptus trees.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 June 2025
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Chicago Tribune How Ramesh survived the descent is still a miraculous mystery.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Devolution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolution. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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