devolution
/diːvəˈluːʃən/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.06 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
4
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A rolling down.
noun
A descent, especially one that passes through a series of revolutions, or by succession.
noun
The transfer of some powers and the delegation of some functions from a central government to local government (e.g. from the U.K. parliament to Scottish parliament and Welsh assembly).
Example Sentences
- "It is quite disheartening to witness the devolution of our nation's political discourse over the past several years."
- "He is the place where the devolution from Heaven and the evolution from earth meet."
- "The question of whether England should receive devolution like Scotland and Wales have has dogged British politics for years."
- "Governments like devolution because it gives ministers someone else to blame for problems."
- "By the 1974 general election, the Scottish National Party (SNP) were polling at 30% and there were growing calls for devolution."
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French dévolution, from Medieval Latin devolutio, devolutionis, from Latin devolvo.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: dévolution, devolutio, devolvo
Regional Pronunciation
- British English: /diːvəˈluːʃən/