development

American  

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

noun

developments plural

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

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• developments
  plural

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

The loans are originated by private lenders and insured by the Federal Housing Administration, a part of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 29, 2026

Between 2005 and 2024, Chinese companies received around three to eight times more government support than businesses in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, according to the OECD, which called it "a conservative estimate".

From Barron's • Jun. 29, 2026

A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting a British man who has been detained in Ecuador and are in touch with the local authorities."

From BBC • Jun. 28, 2026

The notices, processed by the California Employment Development Department this week, provide more details about what jobs Cisco will cut in California.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026

In 1968, Riddick was working as Director of Development at Shaw University in Raleigh when a colleague asked if he’d like to attend a charrette.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Related Words

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