development

noun

de·​vel·​op·​ment di-ˈve-ləp-mənt How to pronounce development (audio)
dē-
1
: the act, process, or result of developing
the development of new ideas
an interesting development in the case
2
: the state of being developed
a project in development
3
: a tract of land that has been made available or usable : a developed tract of land
especially : one with houses built on it

Examples of development in a Sentence

Good nutrition is important for proper muscle development. The company offers many opportunities for professional development. The software is still in the early stages of development. I try to keep up with the latest developments in computer technology. Have there been any new developments in the case?
Recent Examples on the Web Petrovich wanted to place the gas station in his Crocker Village development in Curtis Park, but the city council had denied him. Joe Rubin, Sacramento Bee, 25 Mar. 2024 That exemption would extend to 21st Century Parks Endowment, despite the group’s ownership of land set for development. Connor Giffin, The Courier-Journal, 25 Mar. 2024 The four-year-old expression was much more fragrant with ample floral and mint notes, a decent rye but on the greener side allowing for plenty of room for development. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 25 Mar. 2024 What is/was there: The 14,000 square foot site, zoned for mixed-use development and subject to Stockyards building codes, is empty as of March 20. Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2024 Taxpayers already underwrite the debt on that development. Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2024 Technological development, in the form of windmills and dikes, was a necessity for survival, and precocious urbanization provided an infrastructure for industry and trade. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024 NeurIPS, as it is known, is focused on advances in neural networks, which have anchored recent developments in generative A.I. The talent imbalance has been building for the better part of a decade. Cade Metz, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024 The development highlights the impact the war in Gaza is having on companies doing business in the Middle East. Hanna Ziady, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'development.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see develop

First Known Use

1756, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of development was in 1756

Dictionary Entries Near development

Cite this Entry

“Development.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/development. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

development

noun
de·​vel·​op·​ment di-ˈvel-əp-mənt How to pronounce development (audio)
1
: the act, process, or result of developing
2
: the state of being developed
3
: a developed piece of land
especially : one that has houses built on it

Medical Definition

development

noun
de·​vel·​op·​ment di-ˈvel-əp-mənt How to pronounce development (audio)
1
: the action or process of developing: as
a
: the process of growth and differentiation by which the potentialities of a zygote, spore, or embryo are realized
b
: the gradual advance through evolutionary stages : evolution
2
: the state of being developed
the great muscular development of weight lifters
developmental adjective
developmentally adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on development

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