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

"This shows that evolutionary success is not only about biological innovation -- timing and environmental context matter."

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 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

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

The Americas were a great laboratory of evolutionary experimentation, a place where animals and plants unknown in Africa and Asia had evolved and thrived.

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