- 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.
“On July 4th, Sandy and Luna may still be developing the coordination, strength, and flight skills necessary for safe fledging,” states this year’s petition, which so far has collected more than 12,500 signatures.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2026
Those who advocate for leniency on EM debt often fall into the trap of permitting caveats and special treatments that ultimately worsen the situation for developing countries.
From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026
Apogee Therapeutics, which is developing a promising atopic dermatitis drug, saw its stock close nearly 47% higher on Monday.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026
Yet cows infected with H5N1 were not developing the respiratory disease researchers expected.
From Science Daily • Jun. 23, 2026
At the same time that Mayan civilization was developing, the Olmecs, sometimes called Mexico’s “Mother Culture,” flourished in the Valley of Mexico.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
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.
