Evolve Meaning
/ɪˈvɒlv/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
verbTo move (something) in regular procession through a system.
verbTo change or transform (something).
Sentence Examples
The threat increases; a defence that doesn't evolve is meaningless.
Do all systems naturally evolve towards an equilibrium state?
CEFR Practice Quiz
Species must ____ over time to survive changing environments successfully.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Businesses must ____ and adapt to the changing needs of their customers to stay competitive.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from Latin ēvolvō (“unroll, unfold”), from ē- (“out of”) (short form of ex) + volvō (“roll”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The animal soul sooner expands and evolves it self to its full orb and extent than the humane Soul"
— a. 1677 (date written), Matthew Hale, The Primitive Origination of Mankind, Considered and Examined According to the Light of Nature, London: […] William Godbid, for William Shrowsbery, […], published 1677, →OCLC:
"You will remove the pig, place it in the car, and drive it to my house in Wiltshire. That is the plan I have evolved."
— 1939, P. G. Wodehouse, Uncle Fred in the Springtime:
"The interpreter has spent a whole lot of time working the music before the performance, trying to evolve the most accurate translation possible."
— 1979 August 25, Vicki Gabriner, Susan Freundlich, “Bridging the Gaps between Deaf and Hearing Lesbians”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 6, page 8:
"[…]I ask you, rather, to evolve a suitable plan with due deliberation and report it to me."¹⁴"
— 2005, Donald Keene, quoting Emperor Kōmei, Emperor of Japan: Meiji and His world, 1852–1912, New York: Columbia University Press, →ISBN, →OCLC, chapter 9, page 78:
"Oxygen levels on Earth skyrocketed 2.4 billion years ago, when cyanobacteria evolved photosynthesis: the ability to convert water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and waste oxygen using solar energy."
— 2013 September-October, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist, archived from the original on 03 Sep 2013:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Species must ____ over time to survive changing environments successfully.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Businesses must ____ and adapt to the changing needs of their customers to stay competitive.