- present participle of develop.
developing
Americanadjective
-
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.
She is also focused on streamlining operations, developing connected and self-driving technology and building out lucrative subscription services.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
"And while it's true that osteoarthritis can run in families, it doesn't mean there's nothing a person can do to successfully lower their risk of developing it."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
Mekatek said it shared concerns about the drop in sewin and had spent more than "40 years developing and improving our processes to ensure we are not a factor in that reduction".
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
And developing, producing and maintaining the F-35 is anticipated to require $2 trillion, making it the DOD’s most expensive weapon system in history, according to the GAO.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
TB programs in developing nations are generally underfunded, resulting in weak delivery systems for treatment and prevention.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
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.
