1
devolve sth to sb
用于权力或责任的转移。
The central government devolved power to the local councils.
中央政府将权力下放给地方议会。
下放；委托
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
下放；委托
To delegate a responsibility, duty, or power to someone else.
The central government devolved power to the local councils.
中央政府将权力下放给地方议会。
因前任放弃或丧失而由他人继承；传给下一位。
To be inherited by someone else; to pass down upon the next person in a succession, especially through failure or loss of an earlier holder.
将(责任、职责等)委托给某人。
To delegate (a responsibility, duty, etc.) on or upon someone.
成为某人的责任或义务。
To fall as a duty or responsibility on or upon someone.
退化；瓦解
To degenerate; to break down.
devolve
Base
原形
devolves
3rd person
第三人称单数
devolving
-ing
现在分词
devolved
Past
过去式
devolved
Past participle
过去分词
The central government devolves power to local authorities.
中央政府将权力下放给地方当局。
The responsibility devolved to the regional manager last year.
责任去年移交给了区域经理。
The situation has devolved into chaos.
情况已经恶化成混乱。
规则动词，表示权力转移或情况恶化
The manager decided to devolve some of his responsibilities onto his team members.
经理决定将自己的部分职责转移给团队成员。
As the company grew, the CEO devolved decision-making authority to regional directors.
随着公司的发展，首席执行官将决策权下放给了区域总监。
The new policy devolves more power to local governments.
新政策将更多权力下放给地方政府。
用于权力或责任的转移。
The central government devolved power to the local councils.
中央政府将权力下放给地方议会。
常与upon/on连用，表示责任等被转移给某人。
The responsibility devolved upon the manager.
责任移交给了经理。
表示恶化或降级为更糟糕的状态。
The debate devolved into a shouting match.
辩论演变成了争吵。
Not this
The manager devolved him the task.
Use this
The manager devolved the task to him.
devolve 作为‘转移（权力/任务）’时是及物动词，但不可接双宾语结构（v. + 间接宾语 + 直接宾语），必须用‘devolve + 直接宾语 + to + 间接宾语’的介宾结构。
Not this
The situation devolved to chaos.
Use this
The situation devolved into chaos.
devolve 表示‘退化/恶化’时是不及物动词，需接介词 into 引出结果状态，而非 to。to 仅用于权力转移的接受者。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
（责任、义务等）落到…身上；由…承担
When the CEO resigned, the task of restructuring devolved upon the board.
首席执行官辞职后，重组的任务落到了董事会身上。
（财产、权力等）传给；遗留给
The estate devolved to his eldest son.
遗产传给了他的长子。
下放责任；委托责任
The government decided to devolve responsibility for healthcare to regional councils.
政府决定将医疗保健责任下放给地区议会。
下放权力
The central bank devolved power to local branches.
中央银行将权力下放给了地方分行。
退化为；恶化成
The debate devolved into a shouting match.
辩论演变成了一场争吵。
演变为；退化为（尤指恶化）
The political debate quickly devolved into a shouting match.
这场政治辩论很快演变成一场争吵。
（责任等）移交给；由…承担
After the CEO resigned, the responsibility for the project devolved upon the vice president.
首席执行官辞职后，项目的责任就落在了副总裁身上。
（财产、权力等）传给；移交给
The estate devolved to his eldest son after he died.
他去世后，遗产传给了他的长子。
Use devolve naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
联想：devolve 中的 de- 像向下，v 像漏斗，责任顺着漏斗漏给下级——下放、委托；要记退化，可联想 devil 变坏。
语域：formal 常见场景：法律/行政、正式书面语 devolve 通常用于正式语境，多出现在法律、行政或政治讨论中，表示权力或责任的下放、移交；也可指“恶化”或“演变成”，但这类用法也比较书面化。日常口语中较少使用。
及物时意为'转移，下放'，后接to/upon；不及物时意为'被移交，恶化'，常以主动形式表被动，后接to/upon。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY, WORDNET.