developing

American  

[dih-vel-uh-ping] / dɪˈvɛl ə pɪŋ /

adjective

1. undergoing development; growing; evolving.

2. (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.

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Other Word Forms

• nondeveloping adjective
• self-developing adjective
• undeveloping adjective

Etymology

Origin of developing

First recorded in 1765–75; develop + -ing ²

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

However, its low cost and ease of deployment have made it a popular choice in developing countries, analysts say.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

Founded in 2009 by aerospace veteran Kamal “Kam” Ghaffarian, X-Energy spent years developing industrial-size modular nuclear reactors to produce energy for factories and other industrial facilities.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

Routine, lower-level jobs are increasingly being automated, while higher-value work — interpreting results, developing strategy and insights — is becoming even more important.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026

Mary Jannotta sliced meat and cheese behind deli counters at Acme and Pathmark supermarkets in the Philadelphia suburbs for decades, developing aches that came with working on her feet.

From Salon • Apr. 24, 2026

Jinx was intrigued by the romantic scene developing before him, but was even more enamored with the catfish wriggling on the hook.

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool

Related Words

• booming
• burgeoning
• flourishing
• growing
• healthy
• prosperous
• robust
• wealthy