- present participle of develop.
developing
Americanadjective
-
undergoing development; growing; evolving.
-
(of a nation or geographical area) having a standard of living or level of industrial production well below that possible with financial or technical aid; not yet highly industrialized.
the developing world.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of developing
Explanation
Use the adjective developing to describe a country that's relatively poor and has a lower standard of living than most other countries in the world. There's not a specific standard for calling a country developing, but there are some societies that most of the world agrees are less industrialized than most. Developing countries generally have poorer people and a less vibrant economy than more developed countries. Some countries object to being called developing, since it implies that all countries want to become "developed," or more Western in their economy and government, which is not necessarily true.
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.
XPeng has spent eight years developing them, opting for what he described as the “hard path” by producing humanoid machines instead of industrial-automation equipment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Details of the deal were not immediately released by the administration, but the pact reportedly does not include strict enforcement measures to block Saudi Arabia from developing a military nuclear programme in the future.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
While Chelsea were under new ownership, Bath was developing a fresh strategy.
From BBC ● 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
In this first illustration from her new book, Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium, Maria shows a pineapple plant that has just flowered and is developing fruit.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
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.