involution
Definitions
The state of being intricately involved or inwardly complex
盘绕；错综复杂；内卷
The shrinking of an organ back to its normal size, e.g. the uterus after childbirth
（器官）复旧；缩小复原
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedin- (inward) + volut (rolled) + -ion = 'a rolling inward.' The opposite movement of evolution (rolling out). Things roll in on themselves: growing more tangled, or shrinking back. The Chinese internet sense 内卷 ('involution') borrows exactly this image — a system folding inward into pointless, intensifying competition.
Root vol still carries 50 more wordsWhy It Means This
Involution is the mirror image of evolution. Where evolution 'rolls out' into ever-greater complexity and progress, involution 'rolls in' — either tangling into intricate complexity, or in biology shrinking back to a resting state. The word became famous in Chinese as 内卷, describing competition that grows fiercer without anyone actually getting ahead.
Common Collocations
- 1.social involution社会内卷
- 2.a state of involution内卷状态
- 3.the involution of the uterus子宫复旧
Example Sentences
- 1.
Critics describe the job market as a state of endless involution.
- 2.
After birth, the involution of the uterus takes several weeks.