Meaning & use
devolve
To transfer power, duties, or responsibilities from a central authority down to a lower level.
See it in a sentence
The national government devolved certain powers to regional assemblies in the 1990s.
Without clear leadership, the meeting quickly devolved into a shouting match between committees.
A note on using this word
Devolve often takes 'into,' meaning to gradually degenerate into a worse state, in addition to transferring authority.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
centralize
Make it your own
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