non-evolutionary
|non-e-vo-lu-tion-ar-y|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑnɛvəˈluːʃəˌnɛri/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒnɛvəˈluːʃ(ə)n(ə)ri/
not involving evolution or gradual change
Etymology
'non-evolutionary' originates from two elements: the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non', meaning 'not') and 'evolutionary', which ultimately comes from Latin 'evolutio' (specifically the noun 'evolutio').
'evolutionary' developed from Latin 'evolutio' ('an unrolling' or 'a turning out') into Late Latin/Old French forms of 'evolution' and then into Middle and Modern English 'evolution' with the adjective form 'evolutionary'; the negative prefix 'non-' (Latin) was attached in Modern English to form 'non-evolutionary'.
Initially 'evolutio' referred to an 'unrolling' or literal 'turning out'; over time it shifted to mean 'gradual development or change' in biological and general senses. The prefix 'non-' negates that modern sense, so 'non-evolutionary' now means 'not involving such development.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not relating to biological evolution; not produced by or involving evolutionary processes.
The trait appeared to be non-evolutionary, showing no clear lineage-based development across the taxa.
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Adjective 2
not involving gradual development or progressive change; static or resistant to change (often used figuratively).
The board adopted a non-evolutionary strategy for restructuring, preferring abrupt, top-down decisions over incremental change.
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Last updated: 2025/10/27 17:30