dev·o·lu·tion (d?v??-lo?o?sh?n, d??v?-)n.1. A passing down or descent through successive stages of time or a process.2. Transference, as of rights or qualities, to a successor.3. Delegation of authority or duties to a subordinate or substitute.4. A transfer of powers from a central government to local units.5. Biology Degeneration.[Late Latin d?vol?ti?, d?vol?ti?n-, from Latin d?vol?tus, past participle of d?volvere, to roll down, fall to; see devolve.]dev?o·lu?tion·ar?y (-sh?-n?r??) adj.dev?o·lu?tion·ist n.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.devolution (?di?v??lu???n) n1. the act, fact, or result of devolving2. a passing onwards or downwards from one stage to another3. (Biology) another word for degeneration34. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) a transfer or allocation of authority, esp from a central government to regional governments or particular interests[C16: from Medieval Latin d?vol?ti? a rolling down, from Latin d?volvere to roll down, sink into; see devolve] ?devo?lutionary adj ?devo?lutionist n, adjCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014dev?o?lu?tion (?d?v ??lu ??n; esp. Brit. ?di v?-) n. 1. the act or fact of devolving; passage onward from stage to stage. 2. the passing on to a successor of property or an unexercised right. 3. disappearance or simplification of structure or function in the course of evolution. 4. the transfer of power or authority from a central government to a local government. [1535?45; (