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Synonyms

research and development

British  

noun

  1.  R D.  the part of a commercial company's activity concerned with applying the results of scientific research to develop new products and improve existing ones

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

In the memo, Kratsios said the aim was to "systematically undermine American research and development and access proprietary information".

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

The work will support nuclear fuel research and development at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

The company invested $3.9 billion in research and development and $4.1 billion in capital expenditures over 12 months.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

Analysts forecast more moderate growth of large expenses such as research and development and general and administrative, as management moves past the early days of ramping up those costs for its growth opportunities.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

More and more American and European companies are outsourcing significant research and development tasks to India, Russia, and China.

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman

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.