Synonyms

develop

American

[dih-vel-uhp] / dɪˈvɛl əp /

verb (used with object)

to bring out the capabilities or possibilities of; bring to a more advanced or effective state.

to develop natural resources; to develop one's musical talent.
to cause to grow or expand.

to develop one's muscles.
to elaborate or expand in detail.

to develop a theory.
to bring into being or activity; generate; evolve.
Drafting. to transfer the details of (a more or less two-dimensional design, pattern, or the like) from one surface, especially one that is prismatic or cylindrical, onto another, usually planar, in such a way that the distances between points remain the same.
Biology.
1. to cause to go through the process of natural evolution from a previous and lower stage.
2. to cause to progress from an embryonic to an adult form.
Mathematics. to express in an extended form, as in a series.
Music. to unfold, by various technical means, the inherent possibilities of (a theme).
Photography.
1. to render visible (the latent image on an exposed film or the like).
2. to treat (an exposed film or the like) with chemicals so as to render the latent image visible.
Chess. to bring (a piece) into effective play, especially during the initial phase of a game when pieces are moved from their original position on the board.

He developed his rook by castling.
Mining. to prepare (a new mine) for working by digging access openings and building necessary structures.

verb (used without object)

to grow into a more mature or advanced state; advance; expand.

She is developing into a good reporter.
to come gradually into existence or operation; be evolved.
to be disclosed; become evident or manifest.

The plot of the novel developed slowly.
to undergo developing, as a photographic film.
Biology.
1. to progress from an embryonic to an adult form.
2. to progress from earlier to later stages of ontogeny or phylogeny.
3. to reach sexual maturity.

develop British

/ dɪˈvɛləp /

verb

to come or bring to a later or more advanced or expanded stage; grow or cause to grow gradually
(tr) to elaborate or work out in detail
to disclose or unfold (thoughts, a plot, etc) gradually or (of thoughts, etc) to be gradually disclosed or unfolded
to come or bring into existence; generate or be generated

he developed a new faith in God
to follow as a result (of); ensue (from)

a row developed following the chairman's remarks
(tr) to contract (a disease or illness)
(tr) to improve the value or change the use of (land), as by building
(tr) to exploit or make available the natural resources of (a country or region)
(tr) photog
1. to treat (film, plate, or paper previously exposed to light, or the latent image in such material) with chemical solutions in order to produce a visible image
2. to process (photographic material) in order to produce negatives and prints
biology to progress or cause to progress from simple to complex stages in the growth of an individual or the evolution of a species
(tr) to elaborate upon (a musical theme) by varying the melody, key, etc
(tr) maths to expand (a function or expression) in the form of a series
(tr) geometry to project or roll out (a surface) onto a plane without stretching or shrinking any element
chess to bring (a piece) into play from its initial position on the back rank
obsolete (tr) to disclose or reveal

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of develop

First recorded in 1585–95; from Middle French développer, Old French desveloper, equivalent to des- dis- ¹ ( def. ) + voloper “to wrap up”; see envelop ( def. )

Explanation

When something develops, it grows. And if you develop something, you create it. Your cold might develop into a rare disease, and you might just develop the vaccine to stop its spread. Develop is a verb that means to build up, grow, or improve gradually over time. A developer is someone who develops land into shopping malls, schools, and skyscrapers. The process can take months, but eventually they will transform a pile of dirt into a building. Many years ago, people would develop photographs by dipping them into various chemicals. As the pictures developed, an image would gradually appear.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing develop

The SAT: Language of the Test, List 2

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!

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.

See Examples For:

develop develops developed developing

Rather than wait for the scene to develop, Khiah decided to help build it herself.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

“There’s never going to be a competition. AI is never going to develop consciousness. AI is not intuitive. AI is doing mathematics. It’s not feeling my emotions,” James said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026

The researchers then used machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence that identifies patterns in complex data, to determine whether these antibody signatures could distinguish people who would eventually develop IBD from healthy individuals.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026

It said Torpoint Artists Collective would develop a programme of artist-led workshops including wildlife recording, photography and nature journalling.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

These four stages establish the fundamental building blocks for children to develop musical literacy.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

But the AI Minister Kanishka Narayan said it would be a "major new global institution" that brings together "world-leading scientific expertise" to ensure the UK can safeguard its citizens and goals as AI develops.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

Last month Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said people should prepare for extreme weather as the strongest El Niño event in a generation develops over the Pacific Ocean.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

Poso’s owner, Long Beach-based California Resources Corp., advertises itself as “a carbon management company that develops emissions reducing projects.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

As she spends more time in the house she develops a sense of responsibility for the boy, who seems helplessly marooned in the haunted space, “trapped like a wasp in a glass bottle.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

She developed a lofty sense of injustice and the mulish, reckless streak that develops in Someone Small who has been bullied all their lives by Someone Big.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

It would mean a mayoral body taking control of how Oxford Street was developed while removing planning powers for the area from Westminster Council.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

Paladin works with Critical Materials Recycling, a Boone, Iowa company that is commercializing a leaching process developed at Ames National Laboratory to extract nearly all the rare earths from electronic waste.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026

People who later developed ulcerative colitis showed a somewhat different pattern.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026

Having performed internationally, she had seen how other cities had developed a wider range of events celebrating these sounds.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

Bobby wondered, rightly so as it developed, whether Tal was up to his old tricks.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

According to the American Cancer Society, the average risk of a woman in the US developing breast cancer is about 1 in 8, or 13%.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

But replacing them with better models, with blades 20% longer, will let each supply about 15% more power, Jablonski said—a boon when electricity demand is rising and developing new energy projects is slow and expensive.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026

"St Pauls Carnival was hugely important for those of us growing up in the 1970s and 80s, and for our developing identities as Black British people."

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

"Now that we know the cause, we can start developing therapeutics."

From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026

Ninety-five percent of cases reported were in the developing world.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023