development

1 the act or process of going from the simple or basic to the complex or advanced <the development of an idea into a marketable product> Synonyms elaboration, evolution, expansion, growth, progress, progression Related Words advancement, betterment, improvement, perfection, refinement; incubation, maturation, maturing, ripening; blossoming, flourishing, flowering; addition, augmentation, enhancement, supplementation; emergence, evolvement, metamorphosis Near Antonyms backslide, lapse, relapse; decadence, decay, decaying, declension, declination, decline, degeneracy, degeneration, degradation, descent, deterioration, devaluation, downfall, downgrade, ebbing, falling, weakening Antonyms regress, regression, retrogression, reversion

2 a condition or occurrence traceable to a cause <a development that the writers of the law never anticipated or intended> Synonyms aftereffect, aftermath, backwash, child, conclusion, consequence, corollary, effect, fate, fruit, issue, outcome, outgrowth, precipitate, product, result, resultant, sequel, sequence, upshotRelated Words ramification; denouement (also dénouement), echo, implication, repercussion; afterclap, afterglow, aftershock; blowback, by-product, fallout, offshoot, ripple, side effect (also side reaction), spin-offNear Antonyms consideration, determinant, factor; base, basis, foundation, ground, groundwork; impetus, incentive, inspiration, instigation, stimulus; mother, origin, root, source, springAntonyms antecedent, causation, cause, occasion, reason

3 the process of becoming mature <a tulip's development from a bulb into a flower> Synonyms maturation, growth, maturing, ripeningRelated Words blossoming, flourishing, flowering; mellowing, softening; evolution, evolvement, expansion, progression; coming-of-age, maturityNear Antonyms decadence, decay, decaying, declension, decline, declining, degeneration, descent, deterioration; ebbing, fading, shriveling (or shrivelling), waning, wilting, withering; death, decease, demise, dying, end, exit, expiration, expiring, expiry, perishing; regression, retrogression, reversion