Origin: Latin suffix -ment
Development has 10 different meanings across 1 category:
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"
(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"
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"
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"
(music) the section of a composition or movement (especially in sonata form) where the major musical themes are developed and elaborated
"After presenting the main theme, the composer enters the development section to fragment and rearrange its motifs before restating them."
The process of developing; growth, directed change.
"The rapid development of the city over the last decade transformed the quiet suburbs into a bustling metropolis."
In plain English: Development is the process of growing, improving, or changing into something better over time.
"The development of new technology has changed how we communicate every day."
Usage: Use "development" to describe the process of growing or improving something over time, such as a child's learning or a city's expansion. It refers specifically to the active stages of change rather than the final result itself.
The word development entered English from the French développement, originally meaning "unrolling." It was first recorded in 1756 and has retained its core sense of growth or expansion since arriving in our language.