- present participle of develop.
developing
Americanadjective
-
undergoing development; growing; evolving.
-
(of a nation or geographical area) having a standard of living or level of industrial production well below that possible with financial or technical aid; not yet highly industrialized.
the developing world.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of developing
Explanation
Use the adjective developing to describe a country that's relatively poor and has a lower standard of living than most other countries in the world. There's not a specific standard for calling a country developing, but there are some societies that most of the world agrees are less industrialized than most. Developing countries generally have poorer people and a less vibrant economy than more developed countries. Some countries object to being called developing, since it implies that all countries want to become "developed," or more Western in their economy and government, which is not necessarily true.
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.
Sheindlin previously mentioned that she now plans to focus on other endeavors, such as developing “Judyverse,” an adult animated series based on the viral “Baby Judge Judy” videos made with AI.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Maybe it’s embedded human instinct, an afterglow of developing self-awareness of our own mortality, to consider existential risks.
From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2026
For one, the period of freer trade that accompanied the creation of the WTO in 1995 has profoundly changed the world economy, and in particular raised the relative importance of China and other developing economies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
"These risks cross borders, so we are working closely with the companies developing the most advanced systems, and with our allies and international partners."
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Ninety-five percent of cases reported were in the developing world.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
