Devolution
Devolution noun - A change to a lower state or level.
Usage example: the gradual devolution of the neighborhood from a thriving community of close-knit families to a drug-ridden slum
Development
Development noun - A process in which something passes by degrees to a different stage (especially a more advanced or mature stage).
Usage example: the development of his ideas took many years
Devolution is an antonym for development.
How words are described
| human | human devolution | human development |
| slow | slow devolution | slow development |
| spiritual | spiritual devolution | spiritual development |
| further | further devolution | further development |
| Other adjectives: greater, subsequent, technological. | ||
Cite this Source
Development and Devolution. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 14, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/devolution/development
Devolution & Development. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/devolution/development>.
Development or Devolution. 2016. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/devolution/development.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "devolution" and "development" have occurred on timeline