From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdevolvede‧volve /dɪˈvɒlv $ dɪˈvɑːlv/ verb formal [intransitive, transitive] 1 if you devolve responsibility, power etc to a person or group at a lower level, or if it devolves on them, it is given to themdevolve something to somebody/something The federal government has devolved responsibility for welfare to the states.devolve on/upon Half of the cost of the study will devolve upon the firm.2 if land, money etc devolves to someone, it becomes their property when someone else dies SYN pass→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
devolve• Southwark's model of care management will not devolve financial responsibility for community care to care managers.• I found myself staring at her, my mind devolving from the content of the short and impersonal crematorium service.• If everyone charges ahead in his own direction, why does society not devolve into anarchy?• One result of devolving off-duty allocation to ward level may be arrangements which take too much account of staff interests.• The goal of the welfare bill is to devolve power and responsibilty to the states.• They included clauses to devolve power by increasing the autonomy and economic power of local councils.• Discussions have been initiated and we hope that agreement will be reached with several colleges to devolve responsibility to them in 1989.• Thus half the effort of benefit-cost analysis would devolve upon the firm, whose owners' best interests dictate accurate cost estimates.devolve something to somebody/something• The federal government has devolved responsibility for welfare to the states.From Longman Business Dictionarydevolvede‧volve /dɪˈvɒlvdɪˈvɑːlv/ verb1[transitive] to give work, responsibility, or power to someone at a lower or more local levelThe goal of the welfare bill is to devolve power and responsibility to the states.2[intransitive]LAW if land, goods etc devolve to someone they become the property of that person when their owner diesIn the event of the guardian dying before the child attains twenty-one years, all of the estate shall devolve upon the said child and be held for him in trust.→ See Verb tableOrigin devolve (1400-1500) Latin devolvere, from volvere “to roll” 