developing
Americanadjective
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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.
Moonprint Solutions, a small business, is developing flexible protective covers that shield equipment from the Moon's highly abrasive dust.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
She writes about the company's massive data center buildout, its social media platforms that have billions of users, and the AI products the company is developing to serve them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
The state’s now-thriving Muslim community was still developing at the time.
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026
He is best known for developing the "ice stupa" - an artificial cone-shaped glacier inspired by Buddhist stupas - that stores water during winter and releases it in late spring, when farmers need it most.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Then he went above and beyond, developing some classes just for me.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
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.
