evolution

noun Etymology: Latin evolution-, evolutio unrolling, from evolvere Date: 1622 1. one of a set of prescribed movements 2. a. a process of change in a certain direction ; unfolding b. the action or an instance of forming and giving something off ; emission c. (1) a process of continuous change from a lower, simpler, or worse to a higher, more complex, or better state ; growth (2) a process of gradual and relatively peaceful social, political, and economic advance d. something evolved 3. the process of working out or developing 4. a. the historical development of a biological group (as a race or species) ; phylogeny b. a theory that the various types of animals and plants have their origin in other preexisting types and that the distinguishable differences are due to modifications in successive generations; also the process described by this theory 5. the extraction of a mathematical root 6. a process in which the whole universe is a progression of interrelated phenomena • evolutionarily adverb • evolutionary adjective • evolutionism noun • evolutionist noun or adjective