- present participle of develop.
developing
Americanadjective
-
undergoing development; growing; evolving.
-
(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.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of developing
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Companies developing them say the smaller plants are much safer to manage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Steve Garidis from the Bicycle Association said retailers have invested in developing safe and legal e-bikes but this can be "undermined by illegal and unsafe products often sold through online marketplaces to unsuspecting consumers".
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
The company has spent at least $15 billion developing Starship, which Evercore ISI analysts have labeled the “keystone dependency” for SpaceX’s growth.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
"What I care about is whether the legislation meets the nation's needs -- whether it aligns with our indigenous defence strategy and the various requirements for developing our drone and unmanned vehicle industries," Cho said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
I did not know if I was developing an interest in boys, or if I would have washed my hair and put on my new blouse anyway.
From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg
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.
