develop

American  

[dih-vel-uhp] / dɪˈvɛl əp /

verb (used with object)

1. 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.

2. to cause to grow or expand.

   to develop one's muscles.

3. to elaborate or expand in detail.

   to develop a theory.

4. to bring into being or activity; generate; evolve.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. Mathematics. to express in an extended form, as in a series.

8. Music. to unfold, by various technical means, the inherent possibilities of (a theme).

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. Mining. to prepare (a new mine) for working by digging access openings and building necessary structures.

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verb (used without object)

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

   She is developing into a good reporter.

2. to come gradually into existence or operation; be evolved.

3. to be disclosed; become evident or manifest.

   The plot of the novel developed slowly.

4. to undergo developing, as a photographic film.

5. 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

1. to come or bring to a later or more advanced or expanded stage; grow or cause to grow gradually

2. (tr) to elaborate or work out in detail

3. to disclose or unfold (thoughts, a plot, etc) gradually or (of thoughts, etc) to be gradually disclosed or unfolded

4. to come or bring into existence; generate or be generated

   he developed a new faith in God

5. to follow as a result (of); ensue (from)

   a row developed following the chairman's remarks

6. (tr) to contract (a disease or illness)

7. (tr) to improve the value or change the use of (land), as by building

8. (tr) to exploit or make available the natural resources of (a country or region)

9. (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

10. biology to progress or cause to progress from simple to complex stages in the growth of an individual or the evolution of a species

11. (tr) to elaborate upon (a musical theme) by varying the melody, key, etc

12. (tr) maths to expand (a function or expression) in the form of a series

13. (tr) geometry to project or roll out (a surface) onto a plane without stretching or shrinking any element

14. chess to bring (a piece) into play from its initial position on the back rank

15. obsolete (tr) to disclose or reveal

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Other Word Forms

• developability noun
• developable adjective
• half-developed adjective
• hyperdeveloped adjective
• misdevelop verb
• nondevelopable adjective
• predevelop verb
• undevelopable adjective
• well-developed adjective

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”; 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.

Example Sentences

"Without small-scale opportunities, early career artists struggle to develop the skills and confidence required to scale up to larger stages," the venue warned, according to the report.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

America is still one of CMAT’s greatest muses, as well as the country that helped develop the dreams she now feels almost guilty for having.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

Officials point to the announcement by Germany and the U.K. last month of a joint project to develop stealthy cruise missiles and hypersonic weapons as an example of the new initiative.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Among Americans who turned 65 between 2022 and 2025, 56% will develop a need for long-term-care services and supports, with one in five needing care for more than five years, according to the U.S.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

In 1972, in order to both develop and promote marine archaeology, Bass founded the Institute of Nautical Archaeology, the first organization of its kind in the world.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

Related Words

• advance
• broaden
• build up
• cultivate
• deepen
• evolve
• exploit
• improve
• intensify
• perfect
• promote
• realize
• refine
• spread
• strengthen