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

As a young man, Mansour studied fine art in Jerusalem but went on to develop his own distinctive style.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

Influencer will then take that information and use it to help develop clients’ influencer campaigns, according to Ben Jeffries, the company’s co-founder and CEO.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

People who had less sugar exposure during the first few years of life were much less likely to develop several different cancers later in life, and they also showed signs of slower biological ageing.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026

“Because if you identify and support someone who’s autistic or neurodivergent early in life, then they’re never going to develop this idea that something’s wrong with them.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

Corps members are divided by skill—writers, interpreters, and artists—and are told to develop messages that urge the town’s inhabitants to come down from the nearby hills and mountains where they have sought refuge.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

But he allowed the Department of Labor rule to remain temporarily in effect while the agency develops a replacement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

For now, the company’s robotics financial targets remain preliminary as it builds up production and develops its commercial team.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Once the fear wears off and the road becomes home, the group develops its own rituals and routines, but maintains its connection to what came before all this, however fleeting it may be.

From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026

Network Rail, which owns, operates, maintains and develops Britain's railways, claimed that the derailment occurred because the wagon had "not been maintained with reasonable care" by Touax.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

So what it amounts to is that there won’t be much I can do, not until I see how the sickness develops.

From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien

The AK-47 rifle is a good example: It was developed by Russian designers, influenced by a German assault rifle, then mass-produced by the Soviet Union’s sprawling factories.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

"We developed a kind of art that is symbolic so that people will understand what we mean and the soldiers will not understand," he commented.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

Parton, who died on Tuesday aged 80, co-owned and developed the nostalgia-fueled theme park, building a massive economic asset that has long been valued by locals.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

“One of the reasons the features were developed were to protect us in future lawsuits,” said former Meta data scientist George Volichenko.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

It’s also possible that their friendship developed while they both fought for the liberation of the Philippines.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Part of Prestwick's recent focus has been developing its ability to handle temperature sensitive products, and more than 1,500 tonnes of seafood was exported to China in six months alone.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

Building a robot capable of handling multiple tasks like staffing an information desk or making coffee requires significant training and computing power that will probably cost more than developing a vehicle, Gu said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Two additional large sections of the floating ice tongue are expected to detach in the near future as rifts that have been developing for years continue to cut through the ice.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026

Some studies have suggested that women who regularly work night shifts may face a higher risk of developing cancer.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

Only in this larger context can the child focus on developing their musical ability.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

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