evolutionarily — in a way that relates to or involves the gradual development of something over time, especially biological evolution
Part of speech: ADVERB
Definition: in a way that relates to or involves the gradual development of something over time, especially biological evolution
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˌiːvəˈluːʃənərəli/
Example Sentences
- Evolutionarily, we're still cavemen who discovered smartphones yesterday.
- The peacock's tail is evolutionarily expensive but impressive to potential mates.
- Evolutionarily speaking, our fear of public speaking made sense when rejection meant exile.
evolutionarily
ADVERB[/ˌiːvəˈluːʃənərəli/]
in a way that relates to or involves the gradual development of something over time, especially biological evolution
The fish evolved evolutionarily by dragging itself onto land and growing powerful legs.
E(out) + VOLUT(roll) + ARILY(in a way) — evolutionarily means changing in a way guided by evolution.
Instead of remaining stationarily in the mud, the robot changed evolutionarily by replacing its legs with giant rockets.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Derived from Latin 'evolvere' (to unfold, unfold, develop), which combines 'e-' (out) and 'volvere' (to roll). The word 'evolution' entered English in the 17th century but gained prominent scientific usage in the 19th century with Darwin's theories, after which the adverbial form 'evolutionarily' was constructed.
Breakdown
e- (out) + volvere (to roll/turn) + -arily (adverbial suffix forming an adverb). The suffix -arily derives from -ary (adjective-forming) + -ly (adverb marker), making 'evolutionarily' an adverbial modifier of the noun 'evolution'.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“Evolutionarily, we're still cavemen who discovered smartphones yesterday.”
“The peacock's tail is evolutionarily expensive but impressive to potential mates.”
“Evolutionarily speaking, our fear of public speaking made sense when rejection meant exile.”
“Cats are evolutionarily programmed to knock things off tables - it's science!”
📚Related Words
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