underdeveloped
adjective
un·der·de·vel·oped
ˌən-dər-di-ˈve-ləpt 
1
: not normally or adequately developed
underdeveloped muscles
underdeveloped film
2
: having a relatively low economic level of industrial production and standard of living (as from lack of capital)
underdeveloped nations
Examples of underdeveloped in a Sentence
The baby was born with underdeveloped lungs.
Recent Examples on the Web
The condition develops before birth if a pregnant cat is exposed to the feline panleukopenia virus, leaving the kitten's cerebellum underdeveloped.
—
Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
Much of the cast is underdeveloped; an improbable misunderstanding about Mare’s sexuality is somehow stretched into a multi-episode story line.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
Until accounting, disclosure, and incentives evolve to reflect nature’s location-specific and non-fungible value, finance for biodiversity will remain underdeveloped.
—Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Ecclestone was removed as the championship’s boss, and his successors were staggered to see how underdeveloped F1’s marketing was overall.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underdeveloped
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
Much of the cast is underdeveloped; an improbable misunderstanding about Mare’s sexuality is somehow stretched into a multi-episode story line.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
Until accounting, disclosure, and incentives evolve to reflect nature’s location-specific and non-fungible value, finance for biodiversity will remain underdeveloped.
—Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Ecclestone was removed as the championship’s boss, and his successors were staggered to see how underdeveloped F1’s marketing was overall.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underdeveloped
Cite this Entry
“Underdeveloped.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underdeveloped. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
underdeveloped
adjective
un·der·de·vel·oped
ˌən-dər-di-ˈvel-əpt
1
: not developed normally or enough
underdeveloped muscles
2
: having a low level of industrial production and standard of living
the underdeveloped nations
Medical Definition
underdeveloped
adjective
un·der·de·vel·oped
ˌən-dər-di-ˈvel-əpt
: not normally or adequately developed
underdeveloped muscles
underdeveloped lungs
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share