development

American  

[dih-vel-uhp-muhnt] / dɪˈvɛl əp mənt /

noun

1. the act or process of developing; growth; progress.

   child development; economic development.

   Synonyms:

   maturation, opening, evolution, growth, elaboration, expansion

   Antonyms:

   disintegration, deterioration

2. a significant consequence or event.

   recent developments in the field of science.

3. a developed or advanced state or form.

   Drama reached its highest development in the plays of Shakespeare.

   Synonyms:

   ripeness, maturity

4. Music. the part of a movement or composition in which a theme or themes are developed, or unfolded and elaborated, by various technical means, so as to reveal their inherent possibilities.

5. a large group of private houses or of apartment houses, often of similar design, constructed as a unified community, especially by a real-estate developer or government organization.

   Synonyms:

   subdivision, community

6. Chess. the act or process of developing chess pieces.

7. Mining. the work of digging openings, as tunnels, raises, and winzes, to give access to new workings, and of erecting necessary structures.

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development British  

/ dɪˈvɛləpmənt /

noun

1. the act or process of growing, progressing, or developing

2. the product or result of developing

3. a fact, event, or happening, esp one that changes a situation

4. an area or tract of land that has been developed

5. Also called: development section.  the section of a movement, usually in sonata form, in which the basic musical themes are developed

6. chess

   1. the process of developing pieces

   2. the manner in which they are developed

   3. the position of the pieces in the early part of a game with reference to their attacking potential or defensive efficiency

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• developmental
  adjective
• developmentary
  adjective
• nondevelopmental
  adjective
• predevelopment
  noun
• undevelopmentally
  adverb
• nondevelopment
  noun
• developmentally
  adverb
• hyperdevelopment
  noun
• superdevelopment
  noun
• subdevelopment
  noun
• self-development
  noun
• nondevelopmentally
  adverb
• postdevelopmental
  adjective
• hyperdevelopmental
  adjective
• undevelopmental
  adjective
• undevelopment
  noun
• antidevelopment
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of development

First recorded in 1745–55; develop + -ment, or from French développement

Explanation

Development is the act of improving by expanding, enlarging, or refining. The merging of two university departments might lead to the development of a new curriculum. There are many other definitions for this noun, too. Real estate development is the conversion of land or property to a specific use, like housing or retail space. To grow up, we pass through many stages of development, from infancy to old age. Breaking news is often followed by developments, that is, recent events or information that's relevant to the story.

Example Sentences

Back home, Pulte’s circle included another Coe disciple, a Michigan business leader named Mike Timmis, who facilitated Fellowship mission work known as Cornerstone Development in Uganda.

From Salon • Jun. 9, 2026

Agency for International Development, which includes U.S.-funded animal disease monitoring projects operated by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Argi-Pulse Communications reported.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026

Development director Nikki Digiovanni said the grant was a "game changer" for Remo, based in March, Cambridgeshire, which was set up about 20 years ago.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

And the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development published downbeat scenarios for global growth this week if flows don’t normalize soon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

Development of the institutions designed to make the city heir to Athenian intellectual greatness, the Museum and Great Library, was already well under way under the first Ptolemy.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro

Related Words

• advancement
• evolution
• expansion
• improvement
• increase
• progress