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
These bottlenecks are not down to a lack of ambition but rather structural weaknesses, including lack of regulatory certainty, underdeveloped infrastructure, and crucially a lack of offtake agreements to guarantee long-term market demand.
—
Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Hundreds of millions of people in mostly underdeveloped countries have used it safely with minimal side effects, such as fatigue or diarrhea, for decades.
—Erika Edwards, NBC news, 9 June 2025
The operatic action and intriguing exposition is there, but this solid third installment winds up a good but not great effort, owing to a convoluted last act and underdeveloped supporting characters.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 June 2025
Gwendolyn's prematurity brought additional complications: brain bleeds, underdeveloped lungs, multiple surgeries, code blues (where a patient requires resuscitation or is in need of immediate medical attention) and long hospital stays.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for underdeveloped
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Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Hundreds of millions of people in mostly underdeveloped countries have used it safely with minimal side effects, such as fatigue or diarrhea, for decades.
—Erika Edwards, NBC news, 9 June 2025
The operatic action and intriguing exposition is there, but this solid third installment winds up a good but not great effort, owing to a convoluted last act and underdeveloped supporting characters.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 June 2025
Gwendolyn's prematurity brought additional complications: brain bleeds, underdeveloped lungs, multiple surgeries, code blues (where a patient requires resuscitation or is in need of immediate medical attention) and long hospital stays.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 June 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 1 Jul. 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
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