verb (used with object)

develops,
present (3rd person singular)
developed,
past participle, past
developing
present participle

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.
to cause to grow or expand.

to develop one's muscles.
to elaborate or expand in detail.

to develop a theory.
to bring into being or activity; generate; evolve.
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.
Biology.
1. to cause to go through the process of natural evolution from a previous and lower stage.
2. to cause to progress from an embryonic to an adult form.
Mathematics. to express in an extended form, as in a series.
Music. to unfold, by various technical means, the inherent possibilities of (a theme).
Photography.
1. to render visible (the latent image on an exposed film or the like).
2. to treat (an exposed film or the like) with chemicals so as to render the latent image visible.
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.
Mining. to prepare (a new mine) for working by digging access openings and building necessary structures.

verb (used without object)

develops,
present (3rd person singular)
developed,
past participle, past
developing
present participle

to grow into a more mature or advanced state; advance; expand.

She is developing into a good reporter.
to come gradually into existence or operation; be evolved.
to be disclosed; become evident or manifest.

The plot of the novel developed slowly.
to undergo developing, as a photographic film.
Biology.
1. to progress from an embryonic to an adult form.
2. to progress from earlier to later stages of ontogeny or phylogeny.
3. to reach sexual maturity.

develop British

/ dɪˈvɛləp /

verb

to come or bring to a later or more advanced or expanded stage; grow or cause to grow gradually
(tr) to elaborate or work out in detail
to disclose or unfold (thoughts, a plot, etc) gradually or (of thoughts, etc) to be gradually disclosed or unfolded
to come or bring into existence; generate or be generated

he developed a new faith in God
to follow as a result (of); ensue (from)

a row developed following the chairman's remarks
(tr) to contract (a disease or illness)
(tr) to improve the value or change the use of (land), as by building
(tr) to exploit or make available the natural resources of (a country or region)
(tr) photog
1. 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
2. to process (photographic material) in order to produce negatives and prints
biology to progress or cause to progress from simple to complex stages in the growth of an individual or the evolution of a species
(tr) to elaborate upon (a musical theme) by varying the melody, key, etc
(tr) maths to expand (a function or expression) in the form of a series
(tr) geometry to project or roll out (a surface) onto a plane without stretching or shrinking any element
chess to bring (a piece) into play from its initial position on the back rank
obsolete (tr) to disclose or reveal

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Conjugated Forms

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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing develop

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:

develop develops developed developing

Bailey has called on those in charge of financial security to develop "appropriate steps to support safe and responsible model release and deployment on a global basis".

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

That’s after the president announced a deal with Venezuela late Friday, saying the U.S. would help develop 17 of the South American country’s oil fields containing 65 billion barrels of proven reserves.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

Once in college, students encounter easy courses with inflated grading that don’t challenge them to develop their potential.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

"The county officials reached out to us. They wanted us to come back and develop the industry," Zheng said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026

“If I drink any more Moxie, I think I’m going to develop an ulcer.”

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

But freezing eggs does not freeze in time the woman who may eventually carry a fetus that develops from one, or more, of them.

From Slate ● Aug. 29, 2026

But he allowed the Department of Labor rule to remain temporarily in effect while the agency develops a replacement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

For now, the company’s robotics financial targets remain preliminary as it builds up production and develops its commercial team.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Once the fear wears off and the road becomes home, the group develops its own rituals and routines, but maintains its connection to what came before all this, however fleeting it may be.

From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026

Eventually, primitive life develops, and then shopping malls.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

The Japanese automakers aim to adopt the jointly developed systems and software in their vehicles starting in April 2029.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

The one tax base that isn’t mobile is land, but even land, if too heavily taxed, will be abandoned rather than being developed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

Scientists at the University at Buffalo have developed an injectable hydrogel designed to keep osteoarthritis treatments inside the joint for much longer than conventional injections.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026

The researchers used analytical techniques first developed by their team in 2024 to identify the footprints as belonging to Paranthropus boisei.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026

As it developed, the flu forfeits didn’t affect Bobby’s pairings or score.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

It is also developing a jet-powered version, which will take longer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

In July, the U.S. agreed to provide Saudi Arabia with a civilian nuclear program under a 30-year, multibillion-dollar deal that could give Westinghouse a central role in developing infrastructure.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

Zak Brown, chief executive officer of McLaren Racing, said: "Lando's journey with the team is a fantastic example of our commitment to identifying, developing and supporting world-class talent, and his achievements speak for themselves."

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

Companies developing them say the smaller plants are much safer to manage.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

English mathematicians fell far behind their Continental counterparts when it came to developing calculus.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023