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evolution

[C/U] Both
pl: evolutions

The word carries a strong sense of inevitable progression and organic growth. Unlike "change," which can be sudden or random, evolution implies a directional trajectory toward greater complexity, refinement, or adaptation. In biological contexts, it is an objective scientific framework. In social or technological contexts, it often takes on a positive connotation of "improvement" or "maturation," suggesting that the current state is a more advanced version of what came before. It differs from "revolution" in speed and nature; while a revolution is a violent or abrupt break from the past, evolution is a slow, iterative layering of changes over time.

Uncountable when discussing the biological mechanism of natural selection as a general scientific principle. Countable when referring to specific instances of change or distinct stages in the development of a product, idea, or species ('The evolution of the wing occurred in several stages').

💬Conversación Casual

🎬Tuesday afternoon, Sarah is staring at a blank screen while David is in a 'strategy session'.
David Smith

The new logo needs more evolution. It's still too basic.

David Smith
Sarah
Sarah

I'm totally burnt out. Can we just call it a day?

💡
David uses 'evolution' in a corporate sense to mean gradual improvement or development of a design, while Sarah responds with the idiom 'burnt out' to express her extreme exhaustion and lack of capacity for more work.

Meanings

Noun

The process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth.

"Darwin's theory of evolution explains how species adapt over generations."

Noun

The gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form.

"The evolution of the smartphone has fundamentally changed how we communicate."

Last Updated: May 26, 2026Report an Error