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development

noun

di-ˈve-ləp-mənt How to pronounce development (audio)
Definition of developmentnext
1
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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2
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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3
as in growth
the process of becoming mature a tulip's development from a bulb into a flower

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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 Neither Washington nor Beijing benefits from losing control of systems capable of autonomous replication, accelerating the development of their own successors, evading oversight, or enabling catastrophic biological or cyber harm. — Shlomit Wagman, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2026 The opening clause of the regulation says it was drawn up to protect national sovereignty, security and development interests. — Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026 Amid stark warnings that artificial intelligence could wipe out humanity by the end of the decade, the heads of the largest AI firms in the US have all backed a proposal by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to slow down development to ensure public safety. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 15 Sep. 2026 Early in life this response is beneficial, aiding development, wound healing and cancer prevention. — Venki Ramakrishnan, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for development
Recent Examples of Synonyms for development
  1. evolution
  2. outcome
  3. growth
  4. progress
  5. result
  6. maturation
  7. expansion
  8. resultant
Noun
  • This is thought to happen because the social transmission of stories acts like evolution.
    — Hannah Little, Scientific American, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Until Monday night, anyway, when the Chiefs blasted Denver 31-10 behind Walker’s 173 yards on 23 carries — including a 60-yard touchdown run on a bold fourth-and-1 that in itself illustrated the abiding evolution of Reid.
    — Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of evolution
Noun
  • Taking a page from professional players associations, Abruzzo sees sectoral bargaining—where unions and multiple employers set baseline, industry-wide compensation and workplace standards—as the preferable long-term outcome for college athletes.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 17 Sep. 2026
  • There are four possible outcomes, all with various chances of coming to fruition.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of outcome
Noun
  • The film’s subplot is a love story between the farmer and the vet, except the growth potion complicates the farmer’s attraction.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Cuticle oil hydrates this thin, sensitive skin and promotes growth by increasing circulation, and can be applied over polish.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of growth
Noun
  • In my experience, the strongest engagements begin when both sides understand what can be influenced, what cannot be controlled and how progress will be evaluated.
    — Scott Keever, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • When his former company’s CEO Dario Amodei posted about the need to slow AI progress over the weekend, rival tech leaders such as Elon Musk and Sam Altman quickly backed the call.
    — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of progress
Noun
  • When a close compresses from weeks to days or a forecast updates in hours, finance can operate on current information instead of stale results.
    — Hemant Kapadia, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • After the results of a close Marshall City Council race in central Missouri had been certified, Hoskins' office received a complaint about the tallying of write-in votes, recounted them itself and instructed city officials to change the results.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of result
Noun
  • Someone can meet criteria for severe AUD at age 21, and then, with treatments, brain maturation, lifestyle changes and/or years of abstinence, be diagnosis-free at age 40.
    — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Software engineering is undergoing the exact same maturation.
    — Barney Krishnan, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of maturation
Noun
  • Yet after this rapid expansion, any potential slowdown in AI demand growth, or efficiency gains that reduce data center power requirements, could introduce significant instability into power grid operations.
    — , CNBC, 18 Sep. 2026
  • According to McKinnon, the FAA’s willingness to approve incremental expansions on a case-by-case basis is partly about gathering the real-world data needed to eventually finalize Part 108.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of expansion
Noun
  • Surprisingly, despite his role in the Fast & Furious franchise and the resultant persona fans project on him, Gibson is, admittedly, not interested in pursuing motorsport and had never been drifting.
    — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 16 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of resultant

Browse Nearby Words

developing
development
developmental
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Cite this Entry

“Development.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/development. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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