Evolutional

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to or involving gradual change and development over time through successive modifications
2. Pertaining to the process of gradual transformation and progression across generations through a series of adaptations
3. Connected to the ongoing modification and advancement in characteristics or traits over an extended period

Etymology: "Evolutional" is simply "evolution" with the adjective-forming suffix "-al" added, and the suffix itself has a long pedigree. It descends from a Latin adjective ending "-ālis", which was used to turn nouns into adjectives meaning "relating to" the noun, so "legal" relates to law and "national" to a nation. That Latin ending came into English through Old French, and "-al" was already established as an English suffix by the Middle English period. The base word "evolution" is the more interesting part. It comes from Latin "evolutio", meaning an unrolling, as of a scroll or a book, which is why the idea of progressive development was once tied to the image of a text being opened out page by page. The Latin root combines "e-" (out) with "volvere" (to roll), the same root that gives English "revolve" and "volume".

Synonyms: evolutionary, developmental

Antonyms: static, fixed