development

American  

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

noun

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

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

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

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is seeking to raise at least $300 million from external investors for research and development.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

It suggests this is largely because most Welsh courses sit in out‑of‑town or rural locations, making them less attractive for development.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

Although December’s directive capped off months of uncertainty after Trump earlier in 2025 suggested he was weighing the pros and cons of a policy change, the development didn’t serve as ammunition to the stocks.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

The company invested $3.9 billion in research and development and $4.1 billion in capital expenditures over 12 months.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

This sanctuary has not only set an important precedent in the protection of shipwrecks but has also led to another significant development.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

Related Words

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