Showing results for "developing"

• present participle of develop.

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

Appeared in the June 24, 2026, print edition as 'Auto Startup Backed by Bezos Is Developing a $25,000 EV Truck'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 24, 2026

Developing the doll involved years of field research, said company head Kim Ji-hee.

From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026

Developing new medicines often depends on finding the right molecular building blocks.

From Science Daily • May 20, 2026

Developing a new drug takes more than a decade and costs up to $2.6 billion.

From Salon • May 15, 2026

Developing more positive attitudes about teaching students with behavior disorders goes a long way to reduce the stress of teaching them.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Related Words

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