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underdevelop

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

verb (used with object)

  1. to develop (something) short of the required amount.

    to underdevelop film.
underdevelop British  
/ ˌʌndədɪˈvɛləp /

verb

  1. (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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

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.