develop

verb

de·vel·op | \ di-ˈvel-əp

, dē-\

developed; developing; develops

Definition of develop

transitive verb

1a : to set forth or make clear by degrees or in detail : expound develop a thesis

b : to make visible or manifest developed the scene in her mind

c dyeing : to treat with an agent to cause the appearance of color

d photography : to subject (exposed material) especially to chemicals in order to produce a visible image develop film also : to make visible by such a method develop pictures

e : to elaborate (a musical idea) by the working out of rhythmic and harmonic changes in the theme (see theme sense 4)

2a : to work out the possibilities of develop an idea

b : to create or produce especially by deliberate effort over time develop new ways of doing business develop software

3a : to make active or promote the growth of developed his muscles developing your mental abilities

b(1) : to make available or usable develop natural resources

(2) : to make suitable for commercial or residential purposes develop land

c games : to move (a chess piece) from the original position to one providing more opportunity for effective use develop the rook

4a : to cause to evolve or unfold gradually : to lead or conduct (something) through a succession of states or changes each of which is preparatory for the next developed his argument

b : to expand by a process of growth working to develop the company further

c biology : to cause to grow and differentiate along lines natural to its kind more rain will be needed to develop the plants properly

d : to become infected or affected by developed pneumonia

5 : to acquire gradually develop an appreciation for ballet

intransitive verb

1 biology

a : to go through a process of natural growth, differentiation (see differentiation sense 3), or evolution by successive changes A blossom develops from a bud.

b : to acquire secondary sex characteristics the year that her breasts fully developed

2 : to become gradually manifest the facts that developed over the next few days

3 : to come into being gradually the situation developing in eastern Europe also : turn out sense 2a it developed that no one had paid the bill

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Examples of develop in a Sentence

She has been exercising regularly to develop her back muscles. The story was later developed into a novel. The island has developed its economy around tourism. The course is designed to develop your writing skills. A blossom develops from a bud. The doctor says that the child is developing normally. In this class, we will be learning about how languages develop. Scientists are developing a treatment for the disease. The company has developed a new method for recycling old tires. He develops the concept more fully in his book.

Recent Examples on the Web

The wine then ages in-bottle for at least 18 months (for franciacorta's riserva style that can be up to 60 months) to develop a deeper, more complex flavor profile. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, "Prosecco Isn't the Champagne of Italy, Franciacorta Is," 15 Mar. 2019 The charity is located in London and provides advice and support for fathers, helping to develop their confidence as dads. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Prince William Describes "Fear of Having a Newborn" & Kate Middleton Says She Was a "Naive" Parent," 16 Feb. 2019 According to TVLine, the pair are reuniting to develop a new cop drama at CBS called MIA. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "Why 'NCIS' Star Cote de Pablo Really Left Ziva Behind," 12 Feb. 2019 Research tells us that the children of parents with addiction are more likely to develop an addiction of their own. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "What It's Really Like to Give Up Alcohol, According to 5 Women Doing It Right Now," 24 Jan. 2019 Maybe in 2019, the public will start to develop more realistic expectations for self-driving technology. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "The hype around driverless cars came crashing down in 2018," 30 Dec. 2018 The research involving macaque monkeys found that the monkeys developed CWD after eating infected meat from deer and elk, and some of the meat came from infected deer that had CWD but didn’t show symptoms yet. — Korin Miller, SELF, "What You Need to Know About So-Called 'Zombie' Deer Disease," 20 Feb. 2019 The delivery adds fuel to a growing industry intent of using drones to supply medicine to the developing world. — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "Drone-Delivered Vaccines Are Launching a New Era of Health Aid," 18 Dec. 2018 In a series of tweets, Mr. Trump suggested that Iran is close to developing nuclear weapons and that intelligence agencies who don’t recognize the threat are misinformed. — Peter Nicholas, WSJ, "Trump Criticizes U.S. Intelligence Community Over Assessment of Iran Nuclear Threat," 30 Jan. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'develop.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near develop

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Last Updated

22 Mar 2019

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Time Traveler for develop

The first known use of develop was in 1714

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More Definitions for develop

develop

verb

English Language Learners Definition of develop

: to cause (something) to grow or become bigger or more advanced

: to grow or become bigger or more advanced

: to create (something) over a period of time

See the full definition for develop in the English Language Learners Dictionary

develop

verb

de·vel·op | \ di-ˈve-ləp

developed; developing

Kids Definition of develop

1 : to make or become plain little by little : unfold From the microscopic point of Boone's pencil there developed a most amazing scene.— Lynne Reid Banks, The Indian in the Cupboard

2 : to apply chemicals to exposed photographic material (as a film) in order to bring out the picture

3 : to bring out the possibilities of : improve develop an idea

4 : to make more available or usable develop land

5 : to begin to have gradually develop a cough

6 : to begin to exist or be present gradually A romance developed between them.

7 : to create over time develop new medicines

8 : to grow or cause to grow bigger, more mature, or more advanced He's developing his muscles with exercise.

develop

transitive verb

de·vel·op | \ di-ˈvel-əp

Medical Definition of develop

1a : to make active or promote the growth of developed their muscles by weight lifting

b : to cause to grow and differentiate along lines natural to its kind the zygote is gradually developed into the adult plant or animal

2 : to become infected or affected by developed pneumonia

intransitive verb

1 : to go through a process of natural growth, differentiation, or evolution by successive stages the fever develops normally the embryo develops into a well-formed human being

2 : to acquire secondary sex characteristics she is developing rapidly for a girl of 12