underdevelop

American

[uhn-der-di-vel-uhp] / ˌʌn dər dɪˈvɛl əp /

verb (used with object)

to develop (something) short of the required amount.

to underdevelop film.

underdevelop British

/ ˌʌndədɪˈvɛləp /

verb

(tr) photog to process (a film, plate, or paper) in developer for less than the required time, or at too low a temperature, or in an exhausted solution

"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

Other Word Forms

underdevelopment

noun

Etymology

Origin of underdevelop

under- + develop

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

underdevelop

Americans underdevelop the individual, although most of the volunteers who coach at the youngest level would not be cognizant of that.

From New York Times ● Jun. 2, 2010

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023