evolutionary
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
relating to the way living things change and develop over millions of years.
relating to the biological theory of evolution and the genetic changes in populations over generations.
Simple“Scientists study the evolutionary history of birds to see how they are related to dinosaurs.”
In context“The discovery of the fossil provided critical evidence regarding the evolutionary transition from aquatic to terrestrial life forms.”
UsageUsually placed before the noun.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
relating to a slow and steady change in an idea, a business, or a system.
characterised by or relating to a process of gradual, incremental development rather than sudden or revolutionary change.
Simple“The company's success was due to evolutionary changes in its technology over ten years.”
In context“The senator argued for an evolutionary approach to policy reform, preferring steady adjustments over a radical overhaul of the existing system.”
UsageOften contrasted with 'revolutionary'.
SynonymsAntonyms
Usage evolutionary history · appreciation evolutionary · evolutionary challenge
“Indigenous Peruvians carry exceptionally high numbers of a starch-digestion gene, likely because people with more copies gained an evolutionary advantage once potatoes became a staple food.”
“But after those early beginnings, major evolutionary milestones came very slowly.”
From evolution + -ary.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.