undeveloped

adjective

un·​de·​vel·​oped ˌən-di-ˈve-ləpt 

-dē-

: not developed : lacking in development

undeveloped natural resources

undeveloped potential

undeveloped film

undeveloped seeds

: such as

a

: not used for building, farming, industry, etc.

undeveloped land

an area of undeveloped wilderness

b

: having a relatively low level of industrialization and standard of living

undeveloped countries/nations

Examples of undeveloped in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The project, known as Golden Range at Lookout Mountain, would develop one of the largest undeveloped tracts remaining in the city. —Jamie Leary, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2026

From the Archives today heads up to a wide-open, undeveloped San Marcos for this photo from 1926 of a group of girls having a swell time on a tractor. —Adrian Vore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026

About a third of the continent’s $29 trillion mineral wealth remains undeveloped, with energy availability a major bottleneck. —Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 25 Feb. 2026

But the property was undeveloped ranch land at the time. —Emily Brindley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1736, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for undeveloped

• underdeveloped
• developed
• enveloped
• redeveloped

Medical Definition

undeveloped

adjective

un·​de·​vel·​oped ˌən-di-ˈvel-əpt 

: lacking in development : not developed

physiologically undeveloped