devolution

n. transference of authority; act of conferring a right to a successor; degeneration (Biology)

Devolution or home rule is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a state to government at national, regional, or local level. It differs from federalism in that the powers devolved may be temporary and ultimately reside in central government, thus the state remains, de jure, unitary.
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Noun
1. the process of declining from a higher to a lower level of effective power or vitality or essential quality
(synonym) degeneration
(antonym) development, evolution
(hypernym) process
(hyponym) attack
2. the delegation of authority (especially from a central to a regional government)
(synonym) devolvement
(hypernym) delegating, delegation, relegating, relegation, deputation
(derivation) devolve
(classification) government, governing, governance, government activity

n. devolution, transference of authority; act of conferring a right to a successor

n. devolution