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 of evolve

• 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

Molecular Testing and Liquid Biopsies Treatment of metastatic breast cancer has evolved beyond traditional chemotherapy to precision medicine. — Petra Guglielmetti, Glamour, 6 Nov. 2026

That is perhaps best evident in her home on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, which doubled as her own ever-evolving gallery from the mid-1960s until her death in 2025. — Demetrius Simms For Robb Report, ARTnews.com, 6 Nov. 2026

The measurement standard has to evolve alongside the market structure. — Adam Cohn, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026

For decades, advances in the field have typically taken years or even decades, allowing security experts to gradually strengthen encryption standards as computing capabilities evolved. — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026

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