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.

"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

The research team constructed the first evolutionary tree for decapodiformes based on genome sequences from nearly all major lineages.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026

To determine how this species fits into the evolutionary history of humans, the researchers used a Bayesian "tip-dating" method.

From Science Daily • Mar. 27, 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

Our separate gene libraries have many pages in common, another reminder of our common evolutionary heritage.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan