develop
Americanverb (used with object)
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to bring out the capabilities or possibilities of; bring to a more advanced or effective state.
to develop natural resources; to develop one's musical talent.
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to cause to grow or expand.
to develop one's muscles.
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to elaborate or expand in detail.
to develop a theory.
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to bring into being or activity; generate; evolve.
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Drafting. to transfer the details of (a more or less two-dimensional design, pattern, or the like) from one surface, especially one that is prismatic or cylindrical, onto another, usually planar, in such a way that the distances between points remain the same.
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Biology.
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to cause to go through the process of natural evolution from a previous and lower stage.
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to cause to progress from an embryonic to an adult form.
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Mathematics. to express in an extended form, as in a series.
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Music. to unfold, by various technical means, the inherent possibilities of (a theme).
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Photography.
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to render visible (the latent image on an exposed film or the like).
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to treat (an exposed film or the like) with chemicals so as to render the latent image visible.
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Chess. to bring (a piece) into effective play, especially during the initial phase of a game when pieces are moved from their original position on the board.
He developed his rook by castling.
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Mining. to prepare (a new mine) for working by digging access openings and building necessary structures.
verb (used without object)
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to grow into a more mature or advanced state; advance; expand.
She is developing into a good reporter.
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to come gradually into existence or operation; be evolved.
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to be disclosed; become evident or manifest.
The plot of the novel developed slowly.
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to undergo developing, as a photographic film.
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Biology.
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to progress from an embryonic to an adult form.
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to progress from earlier to later stages of ontogeny or phylogeny.
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to reach sexual maturity.
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verb
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to come or bring to a later or more advanced or expanded stage; grow or cause to grow gradually
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(tr) to elaborate or work out in detail
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to disclose or unfold (thoughts, a plot, etc) gradually or (of thoughts, etc) to be gradually disclosed or unfolded
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to come or bring into existence; generate or be generated
he developed a new faith in God
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to follow as a result (of); ensue (from)
a row developed following the chairman's remarks
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(tr) to contract (a disease or illness)
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(tr) to improve the value or change the use of (land), as by building
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(tr) to exploit or make available the natural resources of (a country or region)
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(tr) photog
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to treat (film, plate, or paper previously exposed to light, or the latent image in such material) with chemical solutions in order to produce a visible image
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to process (photographic material) in order to produce negatives and prints
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biology to progress or cause to progress from simple to complex stages in the growth of an individual or the evolution of a species
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(tr) to elaborate upon (a musical theme) by varying the melody, key, etc
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(tr) maths to expand (a function or expression) in the form of a series
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(tr) geometry to project or roll out (a surface) onto a plane without stretching or shrinking any element
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chess to bring (a piece) into play from its initial position on the back rank
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obsolete (tr) to disclose or reveal
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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developabilitynoun
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misdevelopverb
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predevelopverb
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developableadjective
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half-developedadjective
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hyperdevelopedadjective
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nondevelopableadjective
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undevelopableadjective
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well-developedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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developsimple
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developssimple
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have developedperfect
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has developedperfect
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am developingprogressive
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are developingprogressive
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is developingprogressive
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have been developingperfect progressive
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has been developingperfect progressive
Past
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developedsimple
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had developedperfect
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was developingprogressive
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were developingprogressive
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had been developingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of develop
First recorded in 1585–95; from Middle French développer, Old French desveloper, equivalent to des- dis- 1 ( def. ) + voloper “to wrap up”; see envelop ( def. )
Explanation
When something develops, it grows. And if you develop something, you create it. Your cold might develop into a rare disease, and you might just develop the vaccine to stop its spread. Develop is a verb that means to build up, grow, or improve gradually over time. A developer is someone who develops land into shopping malls, schools, and skyscrapers. The process can take months, but eventually they will transform a pile of dirt into a building. Many years ago, people would develop photographs by dipping them into various chemicals. As the pictures developed, an image would gradually appear.
Vocabulary lists containing develop
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 2
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PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Earlier this month, the U.K.’s BAE Systems, Italy’s Leonardo and Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries secured a contract to develop a new stealth fighter jet under GCAP.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
The US and Saudi Arabia are expected to announce a deal that will allow the Gulf kingdom to develop a civilian nuclear programme, according to US media reports.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The disease is still diagnosed more frequently in older adults, and approximately 1 in 25 men and women will develop colorectal cancer during their lifetime.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
The tri-national Global Combat Air Programme, launched in 2022, aims to develop a supersonic sixth-generation stealth fighter by 2035, replacing the Eurofighter Typhoon used by some European countries.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Pneumococcal pneumonia after influenza infection—the epidemic within the epidemic—was of such concern that the ministry had deployed teams of scientists to study the bacterium and develop a vaccine against it.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
When it develops at a younger age, the disease tends to be more aggressive, raising the risk of devastating complications and cutting lives short, according to Diabetes UK.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Antibiotic resistance develops through a similar evolutionary process.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
To ensure self-reliance, it is crucial that Europe develops its own chemical capabilities, said Thierry Francou, chief executive of Eurenco.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Turtles and tortoises rarely develop the disease, but a white and yellow leopard gecko known in the pet trade as the "lemon frost" morph develops aggressive tumors in about 80% of individuals.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
“It develops balance through a blending of mental and physical energy.”
From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman
Many big investment firms have developed automated systems to monitor Truth Social, detect important keywords and take action—often within a fraction of a second—such as initiating or canceling positions, traders said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
As their savings ran out, she said, it triggered so much stress that she developed facial paralysis.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
A genuine rivalry developed between the dominant academy systems of the north and south over the past decade.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Another soldier in Izium, nicknamed "Ananas", also told AFP he was pleased to see the back of Syrsky, who was known for military success but also developed a reputation for not caring about losses.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
He recognized the way she adjusted her glasses and her tendency to hold each hand in a fist, a habit she developed as a child to keep from biting her nails.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
By 1977, new-wave artists such as Blondie, Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, Ian Dury, Ultravox, the Cars, Nick Lowe and Devo began developing punk-infused pop with approaches that won over the mass market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
In the decade since, U.S. officials had tried to keep Saudi Arabia from developing its own program, fearing it would fuel nuclear competition across the Middle East.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
While Chelsea were under new ownership, Bath was developing a fresh strategy.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Among people with optimal blood pressure, consuming 1-3 cups a day was associated with a greater risk of developing high blood pressure.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
As always, Barack was absorbing every bit of news carefully, going about his regular business while quietly developing his own thoughts about it all.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.