development

[dih-vel-uhp-muhnt]

noun

1. the act or process of developing; growth; progress.

   child development; economic development.

   Synonyms: maturation, opening, evolution, growth, elaboration, expansion
   Antonyms: disintegration, deterioration

2. a significant consequence or event.

   recent developments in the field of science.

3. a developed or advanced state or form.

   Drama reached its highest development in the plays of Shakespeare.

   Synonyms: ripeness, maturity

4. Music.,  the part of a movement or composition in which a theme or themes are developed, or unfolded and elaborated, by various technical means, so as to reveal their inherent possibilities.

5. a large group of private houses or of apartment houses, often of similar design, constructed as a unified community, especially by a real-estate developer or government organization.

   Synonyms: subdivision, community

6. Chess.,  the act or process of developing chess pieces.

7. Mining.,  the work of digging openings, as tunnels, raises, and winzes, to give access to new workings, and of erecting necessary structures.

development

/ dɪˈvɛləpmənt /

noun

1. the act or process of growing, progressing, or developing

2. the product or result of developing

3. a fact, event, or happening, esp one that changes a situation

4. an area or tract of land that has been developed

5. Also called: development section. the section of a movement, usually in sonata form, in which the basic musical themes are developed

6. chess

   1. the process of developing pieces

   2. the manner in which they are developed

   3. the position of the pieces in the early part of a game with reference to their attacking potential or defensive efficiency

Other Word Forms

• developmental adjective
• developmentary adjective
• developmentally adverb
• antidevelopment adjective
• hyperdevelopment noun
• hyperdevelopmental adjective
• nondevelopment noun
• nondevelopmental adjective
• nondevelopmentally adverb
• postdevelopmental adjective
• predevelopment noun
• self-development noun
• subdevelopment noun
• superdevelopment noun
• undevelopment noun
• undevelopmental adjective
• undevelopmentally adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of development¹

First recorded in 1745–55; develop + -ment, or from French développement

Example Sentences

He said Britain needs to adequately encourage research and development through tax incentives and partnerships with academic institutions.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“We wanted to see development, we wanted to see growth, and we just weren’t seeing it.”

Read more on Salon

The outcome of this investigation may shape the development of large-scale, error-free quantum computers suitable for commercial use, a goal Dellios hopes to help lead.

Read more on Science Daily

Neuroscientists at the University of Cambridge report that the human brain moves through five "major epochs" as it rewires itself from early development to late old age.

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He adds that the technique could eventually guide the development of therapies for this neurodegenerative disorder.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• advancement 
• evolution 
• expansion 
• improvement 
• increase 
• progress