evolutionary

[ev-uh-loo-shuh-ner-ee, ee-vuh-] / ˌɛv əˈlu ʃəˌnɛr i, ˌi və- /

ADJECTIVE

pertaining to evolution or development

Synonyms

STRONGEST

developmental metamorphic mutative transformative

STRONG

changing growing progressive transmutative

WEAK

generative revolutionary

Antonyms

STRONGEST

extinct stagnant stunted

STRONG

dormant idle inert

WEAK

arrested frozen

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A new study finds that about one-third of long-standing "linguistic universals" are backed by strong statistical evidence when tested using modern evolutionary methods.

From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026

"I believed this genome could help close a key gap and bring clarity to the broader evolutionary questions of cephalopods."

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026

These species represented a range of evolutionary branches, body sizes, and skeletal features.

From Science Daily • Mar. 30, 2026

"We believe this was a major driver for the evolutionary diversification of birds and other fauna in the North Island."

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

This discrepancy between evolutionary success and individual suffering is perhaps the most important lesson we can draw from the Agricultural Revolution.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari