What does "evolution" mean?
A change of position.; A manoeuvre of troops or ships.
Evolution
/ˌiːvəˈluːʃ(ə)n/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A change of position.; A manoeuvre of troops or ships.
- Grammar: evolution is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: development, accomplishment, addition, advance.
- Useful contrasts: creationisms, decline, devolution.
- Usage evidence: We associate Darwin with the theory of evolution.
How to use "evolution"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "evolution" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "evolution" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "evolution" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "evolution" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "evolution" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "development" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "evolution", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A change of position.; A manoeuvre of troops or ships. countable, uncountable
"Mean while, he never failed to be present, when any regiment, or corps of men, were drawn out to be exercised and reviewed, and accompanied them in all their evolutions […]."
- 2 a process in which something passes by degrees to a different stage (especially a more advanced or mature stage) wordnet
- 3 A change of position.; A turning movement, especially of the body. countable, uncountable
"Our necromancer […] taking up his wand, waved it around his head in a very mysterious motion, with a view of intimidating these forward visitants, who, far from being awed by this sort of evolution, became more and more obstreperous […]."
- 4 (biology) the sequence of events involved in the evolutionary development of a species or taxonomic group of organisms wordnet
- 5 A change of position.; A turned or twisted shape; an involution, a complex or intricate shape. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"‘It is not in the showy evolutions of buildings, but in the multiplicity of human habitations which are crouded together, that the wonderful immensity of London consists.’"
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 An unfolding.; The act or process of unfolding or opening out; the progression of events in regular succession. archaic, countable, uncountable
"The world […] might have been gradually produced from very small beginnings […] rather than by a sudden evolution of the whole by the Almighty fiat."
- 7 An unfolding.; The opening out of a curve; now more generally, the gradual transformation of a curve by a change of the conditions generating it. countable, uncountable
- 8 An unfolding.; The extraction of a root from a given power. countable, historical, uncountable
- 9 An unfolding.; The act or an instance of giving off gas; emission. countable, uncountable
- 10 Process of development.; Development; the act or result of developing what was implicit in an idea, argument etc. countable, uncountable
"The ongoing evolution of Lolita subculture fashion includes, among other things, the ballet style."
- 11 Process of development.; A process of gradual change in a given system, subject, product etc., especially from simpler to more complex forms. countable, uncountable
"Among other forms of change, the evolution of transportation has involved modification, diversification, convergence, divergence, hybridization, differentiation, and naturally, selection."
- 12 Process of development.; The transformation of animals, plants and other living things into different forms (now understood as a change in genetic composition) by the accumulation of changes over successive generations. countable, uncountable
"[…]and thus he [Lamarck] was inclined to assert the priority of the types of marine animals to those of the terrestrial, and to fancy, for example, that the testacea of the ocean existed first, until some of them, by gradual evolution, were improved into those inhabiting the land."
Example
"We associate Darwin with the theory of evolution."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "evolution"?
Common synonyms include: development, accomplishment, addition, advance, advancement, amplification.
How do you use "evolution" in a sentence?
We associate Darwin with the theory of evolution.
How do you pronounce "evolution"?
Pronounced /ˌiːvəˈluːʃ(ə)n/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin ēvolūtiō, ēvolūtiōnis (“the act of unrolling, unfolding or opening (of a book)”), from ēvolūtus, perfect passive participle of ēvolvō (“unroll, unfold”), from ex + volvō (“roll”). Compare typologically Czech vývoj, Serbo-Croatian развој, Russian разви́ть (razvítʹ), развива́ть (razvivátʹ), разви́ться (razvítʹsja), развива́ться (razvivátʹsja), Russian разви́тие (razvítije), related to Proto-Slavic *viti (whence Czech vít, Russian вить (vitʹ)).