devolution.

1. The transfer of powers from a central body to regional or local bodies.

2. A development into a less organized or less satisfactory condition.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• devolution of powers
• administrative devolution

On the page

Devolution gave the regions control over transport planning.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Usually uncountable; no ordinary plural in this sense. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common.