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

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

Etymology

Origin of development

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

Example Sentences

If development continues as expected, it could be operational by the end of the decade and serve as a strong candidate for launching a Uranus mission.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

Unlike academy football, which is about development, first-team football is about winning.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Its members say they have invested heavily in research and development but take longer to bring drugs to market.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

Elevators have driven urban development for nearly two centuries, evolving from steam engines and hemp ropes to more advanced systems that helped shape modern cities.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

Its effectiveness was limited by shifting wind directions, and by the rapid development of protective gas masks.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

Related Words

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