DEVELOPMENT Synonyms: 131 Similar and Opposite Words

development

noun

di-ˈve-ləp-mənt

Definition of development

as in evolution

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

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in outcome

a condition or occurrence traceable to a cause a development that the writers of the law never anticipated or intended

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in growth

the process of becoming mature a tulip's development from a bulb into a flower

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of development These developments, usually considered in isolation, illustrate that voters and politicians alike want things that are fundamentally incompatible but refuse to acknowledge the trade-offs. — Ramesh Ponnuru, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2026 For four decades, remarkable economic development has been joined by successful political democracy. — Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 Through talent development and the transfer portal, Steve Sarkisian has assembled a roster that aims to conquer the College Football Playoff. — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Vietnam is making moves to revise its extended producer responsibility (EPR) policy to better promote the development of a circular economy. — Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for development

Recent Examples of Synonyms for development

Noun

The challenge is that the hydrogen evolution reaction is slower in alkaline environments, increasing the need for catalysts that can deliver high activity without rapidly losing performance.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026
One person involved in the effort told me that the firings had been carried out because of an evolution in the business at Fannie and not for any ideological reason.

— Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of evolution

Noun

Those conspiracy theories, Wagner said, are often ways of looking at the world that provide answers to questions when an outcome is too uncomfortable for people.

— Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
On Wall Street, the founders observed how institutional investors sought to trade such uncertain binary outcomes as Brexit and the 2016 presidential election through proxies such as swaps, options, and other risk curves.

— Carson Becker, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of outcome

Noun

His core economic platform focuses on reshaping Britain's growth model through regional devolution, skills system reforms, and regional re-industrialization.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
That approach has led him to bet on sectors from defense to life sciences, and trends like the growth of India’s middle class.

— Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of growth

Noun

Big picture The league and the union are meeting regularly on various topics, but their disagreement on core economics — whether to move to a cap system — leaves little room for progress on the major issues.

— Evan Drellich, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Its work-in-progress was also one of five titles at the 2025 prestigious and highly selective Annecy Animation Showcase at the Cannes Festival’s Marché du Film.

— Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of progress

Noun

But Season 2 clocks the fitful maturation process without mirroring as many of its youthful mistakes.

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 27 Aug. 2026
Bavik keeps things classic, brewing with 100% malt and aroma hops, then letting the beer chill out for an extended cold maturation.

— Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of maturation

Noun

Bhatia said investors are now seeing opportunities for revenue growth at Salesforce increasing from the low double digits, along with margin expansion.

— Jordan Novet, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Trump remains data-center booster amid bipartisan opposition The rapid expansion of data centers, which house networks and services for digital information and services, is proving to be the rare issue that cuts through party lines.

— Joey Garrison, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of expansion

Noun

Ilie and Ghodla modeled the environment in which the resultant black hole seeds would exist and merge, calculating merger rates and the influence on the gravitational wave background.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2026
No other spacecraft has ever descended into the moon’s shadowy south polar craters, although NASA did crash a rocket into one in 2009 and watched a resultant plume of water vapor burst out.

— Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of resultant

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developing

development

developmental

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“Development.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/development. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of development

noun

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