Development

First use 1756, as develop + -ment, from French dÃ©veloppement, from Old French desvelopemens ("unrolling").

Full definition of development

(countable and uncountable; plural developments)

2013-07-19, Ian Sample, Irregular bedtimes may affect children's brains, Irregular bedtimes may disrupt healthy brain development in young children, according to a study of intelligence and sleeping habits. ¶ Going to bed at a different time each night affected girls more than boys, but both fared worse on mental tasks than children who had a set bedtime, researchers found.

The development of this story has been slow.
(uncountable, biology) The process by which a mature multicellular organism or part of an organism is produced by the addition of new cells.

Schuster Hepaticae V|5Of more significance in the nature of branch development; in the Jubulaceae, as in the Porellaceae, branches are acroscopic and normally replace a ventral leaf lobe.

The organism has reached a crucial stage in its development.
(countable) Something which has developed.
Our news team brings you the latest developments.
(real estate, countable) A project consisting of one or more commercial or residential buildings, real estate development.
(real estate, uncountable) The building of a real estate development.
(uncountable) The application of new ideas to practical problems (''cf. research).
Our development department has produced three new adhesives this year.
(chess, uncountable) The active placement of the pieces, or the process of achieving it.
White's development is good, but black's has been hampered by the pawn on e5.
(music) The second section of a piece of music in sonata form.