devolve

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
devolve /dɪˈvɒlv/

▶verb

• 1 transfer or delegate (power) to a lower level, especially from central government to local or regional administration.

• 2 (devolve on/upon/to) (of duties or responsibility) pass to (a body or person at a lower level).

• 3 (devolve on/upon/to) Law (of property) be transferred from one owner to (another), especially by inheritance.

• 4 (devolve into) formal degenerate or be split into.

– derivatives
devolvement noun.

– origin ME (in the sense ‘roll down’): from L. devolvere, from de- ‘down’ + volvere ‘to roll’.