devolution
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
devolution /ˌdiːvəˈluːʃ(ə)n, dɛv-/
▶noun
- 1 the devolving of power by central government to local or regional administration.
- 2 Law the legal transfer of property from one owner to another.
- 3 formal descent or degeneration to a lower or worse state.
■ Biology evolutionary degeneration.
– derivatives
devolutionary adjective,
devolutionist noun.
devolutionary adjective,
devolutionist noun.
'devolution' also found in these Oxford entries:
