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

Another band of heavier rain will develop in Northern Ireland on Monday morning then spread across to Scotland and Cumbria in the afternoon.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

Perhaps I would develop a sudden expertise in close-up magic.

From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026

That freedom helps them decompress, build resilience, and develop healthy habits for life.

From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2026

The researchers also tested whether males and females might develop different head shapes because they eat different foods or forage in different ways.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026

Once cultures appeared, they never ceased to change and develop, and these unstoppable alterations are what we call ‘history’.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

The CDC has not yet included the Pennsylvania deaths in its national tally while it reviews the records and develops standardized criteria for classifying measles deaths.

From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026

Taken together, these differences in both cell populations and tissue structure could help explain why inflammation develops more readily in some joints than in others.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 5, 2026

"By playing deep when the play develops, I end up coming into a number 10 spot when everyone's dropped," he says.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

Experts say that personal finance and economics should both be taught, given that finance focuses on practical money skills while economics develops understanding of markets, policies and broader financial systems.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026

She develops software that helps them manage patient care and accounting.

From "Silent To The Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg

Bronkhorst’s stomach-cancer treatment was developed by Shanghai-based CARsgen Therapeutics, which won Chinese approval for the solid tumor CAR-T therapy following a clinical-trial program that included U.S. patients at MD Anderson and Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026

The team used single-cell sequencing, advanced image analysis and high-resolution 3D X-ray scanning to build a detailed map of human finger joints as they developed.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 5, 2026

In other words, Reform's developed so fast that sometimes mistakes are made.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

In March, Physical Intelligence developed what it called Multi-Scale Embodied Memory, which allows its model to keep track of tasks for up to 15 minutes and correct mistakes — a significant feat.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 5, 2026

It was the same process Washington had developed with his staff as commander in chief of the Continental Army, then implemented with his cabinet as president.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

“The literacy strategies are all about developing oral language,” she told me.

From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2026

Panama has declared a nationwide emergency over El Nino, a weather pattern developing over the Pacific Ocean that is triggering worldwide changes in winds, atmospheric pressure and rainfall and pushing up global temperatures.

From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026

Those comparisons could also have conservation value by helping researchers identify biological and ecological differences that may be important when developing region-specific management strategies.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026

Eli Lilly has been developing retatrutide for nearly 10 years.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

Marine archaeologists also use side-scan sonar for developing nautical charts, locating underwater hazards, and mapping the seafloor.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

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