devolution
/ˌdiːvəˈljuːʃən/noun
mass noun
1- the transfer or delegation of power to a lower level, especially by central government to local or regional administration（尤指中央政府向地方或地区行政部门的）权力下放; 授权。
1.1
- formal descent or degeneration to a lower or worse state〈正式〉倒退; 堕落; 恶化：
the devolution of the gentlemanly ideal into a glorification of drunkenness.
从绅士式的理想到美化酗酒的堕落。
1.2
- Law the legal transfer of property from one owner to another【律】（财产的）合法转让。
1.3
- Biology evolutionary degeneration【生】退行进化, 退化。
派生词
devolutionary
adjectivedevolutionist
noun词源
late 15th cent. (in the sense transference by default)： from late Latin devolutio（n-）， from Latin devolvere 'roll down' （see DEVOLVE）.