Dictionary.com

underdeveloped

[ uhn-der-di-vel-uhpt ]
/ ˌʌn dər dɪˈvɛl əpt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR underdeveloped ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

improperly or insufficiently developed.
Photography. (of a negative) less developed than is normal, so as to produce a relatively dark positive lacking in contrast.
developing (def. 2).

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Origin of underdeveloped

First recorded in 1890–95; under- + develop + -ed2

Words nearby underdeveloped

undercurrent, undercut, undercutter, underdaks, underdevelop, underdeveloped, underdo, underdog, underdone, underdraft, underdrain
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to underdeveloped

disadvantaged, poor, impoverished, undeveloped, lagging, weak, embryonic, nascent, immature, small, undersized, inchoate, rudimentary

Example sentences from the Web for underdeveloped

British Dictionary definitions for underdeveloped

underdeveloped
/ (ˌʌndədɪˈvɛləpt) /

adjective

immature or undersized
relating to societies in which both the surplus capital and the social organization necessary to advance are lacking
photog (of a film, plate, or print) processed in developer for less than the required time, thus lacking in contrast
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

Medical definitions for underdeveloped

underdeveloped
[ ŭn′dər-dĭ-vĕl′əpt ]

adj.

Not adequately or normally developed; immature.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.