act of improving by expanding or enlarging or refining; he congratulated them on their development of a plan to meet the emergency; they funded research and development'

a process in which something passes by degrees to a different stage (especially a more advanced or mature stage); the development of his ideas took many years; the evolution of Greek civilization; the slow development of her skill as a writer

[ Syn: evolution ]

(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level; he proposed an indicator of osseous development in children

[ Syn: growth , growing , maturation , ontogeny , ontogenesis ]

a recent event that has some relevance for the present situation; recent developments in Iraq; what a revolting development!'

the act of making some area of land or water more profitable or productive or useful; the development of Alaskan resources; the exploitation of copper deposits

[ Syn: exploitation ]

a district that has been developed to serve some purpose; such land is practical for small park developments'

a state in which things are improving; the result of developing (as in the early part of a game of chess); after he saw the latest development he changed his mind and became a supporter; in chess your should take care of your development before moving your queen'

processing a photosensitive material in order to make an image visible; the development and printing of his pictures took only two hours

[ Syn: developing ]

(music) the section of a composition or movement (especially in sonata form) where the major musical themes are developed and elaborated