English Dictionary
Definition of “evolution”
evolution (ˌiːvəˈluːʃən
)
Definitions
noun
- biology a gradual change in the characteristics of a population of animals or plants over successive generations: accounts for the origin of existing species from ancestors unlike them See also natural selection
- a gradual development, esp to a more complex form ⇒
the evolution of modern art
- the act of throwing off, as heat, gas, vapour, etc
- a pattern formed by a series of movements or something similar
- an algebraic operation in which the root of a number, expression, etc, is extracted Compare involution (sense 6)
- military an exercise carried out in accordance with a set procedure or plan
Alternative Forms
ˌevoˈlutionary ˌevoˈlutional adjective Word Origin
C17: from Latin ēvolūtiō an unrolling, from ēvolvere to evolve
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
=
development,
growth,
advance,
progress,
working out,
expansion,
extension,
unfolding,
progression,
enlargement,
maturation,
unrolling,
Translations
- British English:
evolution
Evolution is a process in which animals and plants slowly change over many years....the evolution of plants and animals.ˌiːvəˈluːʃən NOUN ...the evolution of plants and animals.
- Spanish:
evolución
nf
- French:
évolution
nf
- German:
Evolution
nf
- Chinese: 演变 n
- Arabic: نُشُوء n
- Portuguese: evolução nf
- Russian: эволюция nf
- Croatian: evolucija nf
- Czech: evoluce nf
- Danish: evolution nutr
- Dutch: evolutie nf
- Finnish: evoluutio n
- Greek: εξέλιξη nf
- Italian: evoluzione nf
- Japanese: 発展 n
- Korean: 진화 n
- Norwegian: utvikling nm
- Polish: ewolucja nf
- Brazilian Portuguese: evolução nf
- European Spanish:
evolución
nf
- Swedish: evolution nutr
- Thai: วิวัฒนาการ n
- Turkish: evrim n
- Vietnamese: sự tiến hóa n
Usage examples
To recapitulate five hours of evolution in a few moments, he speeded up the table display.
Zindell, David, The Broken God (1993)Achieving the record however, depends on the evolution of the depression that the maxi-catamaran is currently managing to stay with.
Yachting Boating World (2005)Mr Martin said this high involuntary admission rate was due to "the historical evolution of our services down through the years".
Irish Times (2002)More recent scientific breakthroughs, in infertility rather than contraception, have moved us even further in terms of social evolution.
Glasgow Herald (2001)By contrast, each continent has its own biography, its own genesis and evolution.
Richard Fortey, THE EARTH: An Intimate History (2004)
