underdeveloped

American  

[uhn-der-di-vel-uhpt] / ˌʌn dər dɪˈvɛl əpt /

adjective

1. improperly or insufficiently developed.

2. Photography. (of a negative) less developed than is normal, so as to produce a relatively dark positive lacking in contrast.

3. developing.

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underdeveloped British  

/ ˌʌndədɪˈvɛləpt /

adjective

1. immature or undersized

2. relating to societies in which both the surplus capital and the social organization necessary to advance are lacking

3. photog (of a film, plate, or print) processed in developer for less than the required time, thus lacking in contrast

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Etymology

Origin of underdeveloped

First recorded in 1890–95; under- + develop + -ed ²

Example Sentences

According to her Instagram post, Phillips was born with an underdeveloped kidney.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2026

Brazil tilts more toward financials and commodities—it is one of the world’s major sources of iron ore, and has vast, underdeveloped rare-earth deposits.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

Instead, U.S. markets have been left in the shade this year by international rivals, including developed markets, underdeveloped “emerging” markets, and even the really undeveloped “frontier” markets.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 26, 2025

“Exit barriers are a key reason for India’s underdeveloped manufacturing sector,” said Shoumitro Chatterjee, co-author of a new paper on Indian manufacturing and an assistant professor of international economics at Johns Hopkins University.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 22, 2025

In addition, since humans are born underdeveloped, they can be educated and socialised to a far greater extent than any other animal.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

Related Words

• embryonic
• nascent
• undeveloped