developer

American  

[dih-vel-uh-per] / dɪˈvɛl ə pər /

noun

1. a person or thing that develops or innovates.

   a software developer.

2. Photography. a reducing agent or solution for developing a film or the like.

3. a person who invests in and develops the urban or suburban potentialities of real estate, especially by subdividing the land into home sites and then building houses and selling them.

4. Shipbuilding. a person who lays out at full size the lines of a vessel and prepares templates from them.

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developer British  

/ dɪˈvɛləpə /

noun

1. a person or thing that develops something, esp a person who develops property

2. photog a solution of a chemical reducing agent that converts the latent image recorded in the emulsion of a film or paper into a visible image

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Etymology

Origin of developer

First recorded in 1825–35; develop + -er ¹

Example Sentences

American AI developer Anthropic said Tuesday it was investigating unauthorized access to Mythos, its powerful model which the company itself worries could be a boon for hackers.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

Local developer Faring plans to build the Bond Hotel & Residences, which will include a seven-story hotel with 45 rooms and a four-story apartment building with 126 units.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

“We offer zero down payment!” the developer pledged.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

The game design award went to Tonda Ros, the solo developer behind puzzle adventure Blue Prince.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

“We’re experiencing a transition—from a town to a city,” said I. David Porras, a developer who tooled around in a Lear jet with red leather seats and painted black on the outside.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

Related Words

• builder
• planner