develop

verb

de·vel·op | \ di-ˈve-ləp

, 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

Aston Martin's engineers have been working on developing and engineering these gadgets with Chris Corbould, a Bond effects specialist, who says that the main challenge was to reproduce gadgets from the film world to work in a consumer product. — Daniel Golson, Car and Driver, "Check Out the Aston Martin DB5 Continuation's Working James Bond Gadgets," 14 May 2019 So, a lot of the pioneering work in developing this hardware went on over there, and a lot of the hardware in the Sunset Park facility was sourced from European companies. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Bikes, bowling balls, and the delicate balancing act that is modern recycling," 31 Dec. 2018 The information can then create computational simulations that can be used to develop even more efficient and sustainable structures. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "Can a remodeled 1920s home revolutionize green building?," 3 Dec. 2018 Food deserts have a particularly negative affect on children as well, who need to have a healthy diet in the first few years of their life in order to develop properly. — Jessica Booth, Redbook, "Everything You Need To Know About Food Deserts," 29 Apr. 2019 The Palladinos also previously developed a Gilmore Girls revival for Netflix before jumping over to the streaming service's competitor. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel's Creators to Develop Ninth Street Women Into a TV Show," 25 Apr. 2019 During the first half of the 19th century, interest developed in rooms themselves, as distinct from interiors being depicted simply as a backdrop to a portrait or a scene with people. — Elizabeth Pash, House Beautiful, "Why You Need to Start Collecting Interior Drawings," 19 Apr. 2019 Their preliminary report adds that, of that number, at least five to seven storms could have hurricane potential, and an additional two to four could develop into major hurricanes (Category 3, 4, or 5). — Blair Donovan, Country Living, "AccuWeather's 2019 Hurricane Forecast Predicts as Many as 14 Tropical Storms This Year," 17 Apr. 2019 Jeremy developed a close relationship with another woman. — Michelle Manetti, Good Housekeeping, "5 Times Jeremy and Audrey Roloff's Book 'A Love Letter Life' Got Extremely Real," 12 Apr. 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

17 May 2019

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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