be inherited by; "The estate fell to my sister"; "The land returned to the family"; "The estate devolved to an heir that everybody had assumed to be dead"
If you devolve power, authority, or responsibility to a less powerful person or group, or if it devolves upon them, it is transferred to them. the need to decentralize and devolve power to regional governments We have made a conscious effort to devolve responsibility A large portion of this cost devolves upon the patient
grow worse; "Her condition deteriorated"; "Conditions in the slums degenerated"; "The discussion devolved into a shouting match" pass on or delegate to another; "The representative devolved his duties to his aides while he was in the hospital
To pass by transmission or succession; to be handed over or down; generally with on or upon, sometimes with to or into; as, after the general fell, the command devolved upon (or on) the next officer in rank