developing
Americanadjective
-
undergoing development; growing; evolving.
-
(of a nation or geographical area) having a standard of living or level of industrial production well below that possible with financial or technical aid; not yet highly industrialized.
the developing world.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of developing
Explanation
Use the adjective developing to describe a country that's relatively poor and has a lower standard of living than most other countries in the world. There's not a specific standard for calling a country developing, but there are some societies that most of the world agrees are less industrialized than most. Developing countries generally have poorer people and a less vibrant economy than more developed countries. Some countries object to being called developing, since it implies that all countries want to become "developed," or more Western in their economy and government, which is not necessarily true.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A GAO report confirmed jobs data integrity from fiscal years 2020 through 2025; BLS is developing online surveys and updating models to mitigate risks.
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
"By identifying an internal brake that had until now gone unrecognized and by developing antibodies capable of neutralizing it, our researchers are offering an innovative solution to the limitations of current treatments," he said.
From Science Daily • Jun. 9, 2026
Hit by the second global energy crisis in four years, governments are developing their own bunker mentality.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
Getting more satellites into low-Earth orbit is critical for AST SpaceMobile, which is working on developing a service rivaling SpaceX’s Starlink, among other competitors.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
Suzuki understood that making good musicians requires investment in developing the whole child – from their morality to their character and ability to be good citizens.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
