{
    "term": "evolution",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "academic": true,
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "b2",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "the slow steady development of plants, animals, etc. during the history of the earth, as they adapt to changes in their environment",
            "labels": "(biology)",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "the evolution of the human species"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Darwin’s theory of evolution"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Finally it was legal to teach evolution everywhere in America."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Evolution requires intermediate forms between species."
                },
                {
                    "text": "competing theories as to how evolution works"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the early evolution of animals"
                },
                {
                    "text": "organic evolution by natural selection"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the long-term evolution of ecosystems"
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Biology"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["gradual", "slow", "rapid"],
                "verb + evolution": ["trace", "drive", "influence"],
                "evolution + verb": ["happen", "occur", "proceed"],
                "preposition": [
                    "evolution from… to…",
                    "evolution of",
                    "evolution towards/​toward"
                ],
                "phrases": ["the theory of evolution"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "the slow steady development of something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "In politics Britain has preferred evolution to revolution *(= slow steady development to sudden violent change)*"
                },
                {
                    "text": "cultural trends and evolutions"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The movement is undergoing an ideological evolution."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a book tracing the evolution of the English language"
                },
                {
                    "text": "his evolution from comedian to serious actor"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the country's gradual evolution towards democracy"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the parallel evolution of science and art"
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["gradual", "slow", "rapid"],
                "verb + evolution": ["trace", "drive", "influence"],
                "evolution + verb": ["happen", "occur", "proceed"],
                "preposition": [
                    "evolution from… to…",
                    "evolution of",
                    "evolution towards/​toward"
                ],
                "phrases": ["the theory of evolution"]
            }
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˌiːvəˈluːʃn//ˌevəˈluːʃn/",
                "audio": "ev/evolution/evolution__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˌevəˈluːʃn/",
                "audio": "ev/evolution/evolution__us_2.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "early 17th cent.: from Latin evolutio(n-) ‘unrolling’, from the verb evolvere, from e- (variant of ex-) ‘out of’ + volvere ‘to roll’. Early senses related to movement, first recorded in describing a “wheeling” manoeuvre in the realignment of troops or ships. Current senses stem from a notion of “opening out”, giving rise to the sense ‘development’."
}