# evolutionary

Pronunciation: US say "ee-vuh-LOO-shuh-nair-ee" /ˌiː.vəˈluː.ʃən.ɛɹ.i/; UK say "ee-vuh-LOO-shuhn-ree" /ˌiː.vəˈl(j)uː.ʃən.ɹi/

## Adjective

1. Relating to the biological theory of evolution and the change of living species across successive generations.
   - Simple: Connected with how living things change and develop over many generations.
   - _The fossil record offers strong evidence for the evolutionary relationships among mammals._
   - _Biologists trace the evolutionary origins of the human immune system._
2. Resembling the biological theory of evolution in form or structure, applied to processes that change gradually through variation and selection.
   - Simple: Describing something that slowly changes and improves over time, like living things do.
   - _The team applied an evolutionary algorithm to optimize the delivery routes._
   - _Economists describe shifting markets using evolutionary models of competition and adaptation._

## Origin

Formed from "evolution" combined with the suffix "-ary".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/evolutionary (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).