development
Americannoun
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the act or process of developing; growth; progress.
child development; economic development.
- Synonyms:
- maturation, opening, evolution, growth, elaboration, expansion
- Antonyms:
- disintegration, deterioration
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a significant consequence or event.
recent developments in the field of science.
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a developed or advanced state or form.
Drama reached its highest development in the plays of Shakespeare.
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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.
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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
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Chess. the act or process of developing chess pieces.
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Mining. the work of digging openings, as tunnels, raises, and winzes, to give access to new workings, and of erecting necessary structures.
noun
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the act or process of growing, progressing, or developing
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the product or result of developing
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a fact, event, or happening, esp one that changes a situation
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an area or tract of land that has been developed
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Also called: development section. the section of a movement, usually in sonata form, in which the basic musical themes are developed
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chess
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the process of developing pieces
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the manner in which they are developed
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the position of the pieces in the early part of a game with reference to their attacking potential or defensive efficiency
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Other Word Forms
- antidevelopment adjective
- developmental adjective
- developmentally adverb
- developmentary 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
Etymology
Origin of development
First recorded in 1745–55; develop + -ment, or from French développement
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.
It’s possible, of course, that the market will be stirred out of its slumber by a major development.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
If development continues as expected, it could be operational by the end of the decade and serve as a strong candidate for launching a Uranus mission.
From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026
"Urine does naturally contain all of the nutrients that plants need such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, but it also contains a variety of contaminants," explained Olivia Wilson, NPK Recovery's research and development scientist.
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
Elevators have driven urban development for nearly two centuries, evolving from steam engines and hemp ropes to more advanced systems that helped shape modern cities.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026
What made this retreat possible was the development of a new and powerful argument for religious faith.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
