evolution

 
Pronunciation: /ˌiːvəˈluːʃ(ə)n, ˈɛv-/

noun

[mass noun]
  • 1the process by which different kinds of living organism are believed to have developed from earlier forms during the history of the earth.
  • 2the gradual development of something: the forms of written languages undergo constant evolution
  • 3 Chemistry the giving off of a gaseous product, or of heat: the evolution of oxygen occurs rapidly in this process
  • 4 [count noun] a pattern of movements or manoeuvres: flocks of waders often perform aerial evolutions
  • 5 Mathematics, dated the extraction of a root from a given quantity.

Derivatives

evolutional

adjective

evolutionally

adverb

evolutionarily

adverb

evolutionary

adjective

evolutive

adjective

Origin:

early 17th century: from Latin evolutio(n-) 'unrolling', from the verb evolvere (see evolve). Early senses related to movement, first recorded in describing a ‘wheeling’ manoeuvre in the realignment of troops or ships. Current senses stem from a notion of ‘opening out’, giving rise to the sense 'development'