| n. | 1. | The act of rolling down. |
| 2. | Transference from one person to another; a passing or devolving upon a successor. The devolution of the crown through a . . . channel known and conformable to old constitutional requisitions. |
| Noun | 1. | devolution - the process of declining from a higher to a lower level of effective power or vitality or essential quality Synonyms: degeneration Antonyms: evolution, development - a process in which something passes by degrees to a different stage (especially a more advanced or mature stage); "the development of his ideas took many years"; "the evolution of Greek civilization"; "the slow development of her skill as a writer" |
| 2. | devolution - the delegation of authority (especially from a central to a regional government) Synonyms: devolvement |
DEVOLUTION, eccl. law. The transfer, by forfeiture, of a right and power which a person has to another, on account of some act or negligence of the person who is vested with such right or power: for example, when a person has the right of preseptation, and he does not present within the time prescribed, the right devolves on his next immediate superior. Ayl. Par. 331.
attack, degeneration, development, evolution, macular degeneration, obsolescence, process