devolve meaning and definition

DEVOLVE verb

Definition of devolve (verb)

1. pass on or delegate to another
   • "The representative devolved his duties to his aides while he was in the hospital"
2. be inherited by
   • "The estate fell to my sister"; "The land returned to the family"; "The estate devolved to an heir that everybody had assumed to be dead"
   • synonyms: fall, pass, return
3. grow worse
   • "Her condition deteriorated"; "Conditions in the slums degenerated"; "The discussion devolved into a shouting match"
   • synonyms: degenerate, deteriorate, drop
   • antonym: convalesce