Noun | 1. | ![]() improvement - the act of improving something; "their improvements increased the value of the property" progress, advancement - gradual improvement or growth or development; "advancement of knowledge"; "great progress in the arts" broadening - the action of making broader; "the broadening of travel" working out, elaboration - developing in intricate and painstaking detail product development - improving an existing product or developing new kinds of products |
2. | ![]() physical process, process - a sustained phenomenon or one marked by gradual changes through a series of states; "events now in process"; "the process of calcification begins later for boys than for girls" assibilation - the development of a consonant phoneme into a sibilant deepening - a process of becoming deeper and more profound growth - a progression from simpler to more complex forms; "the growth of culture" | |
3. | ![]() culture - (biology) the growing of microorganisms in a nutrient medium (such as gelatin or agar); "the culture of cells in a Petri dish" biological science, biology - the science that studies living organisms amelogenesis - the developmental process of forming tooth enamel angiogenesis - the formation of new blood vessels apposition - (biology) growth in the thickness of a cell wall by the deposit of successive layers of material auxesis - growth from increase in cell size without cell division anthesis, blossoming, florescence, flowering, inflorescence, efflorescence - the time and process of budding and unfolding of blossoms caenogenesis, cainogenesis, cenogenesis, kainogenesis, kenogenesis - introduction during embryonic development of characters or structure not present in the earlier evolutionary history of the strain or species (such as the addition of the placenta in mammalian evolution) cohesion - (botany) the process in some plants of parts growing together that are usually separate (such as petals) cultivation - the process of fostering the growth of something; "the cultivation of bees for honey" cytogenesis, cytogeny - the origin and development and variation of cells fructification - the bearing of fruit gametogenesis - the development and maturation of sex cells through meiosis gastrulation - the process in which a gastrula develops from a blastula by the inward migration of cells germination, sprouting - the process whereby seeds or spores sprout and begin to grow habit - the general form or mode of growth (especially of a plant or crystal); "a shrub of spreading habit" infructescence - the fruiting stage of the inflorescence intussusception - (biology) growth in the surface area of a cell by the deposit of new particles between existing particles in the cell wall juvenescence - the process of growing into a youth life cycle - the course of developmental changes in an organism from fertilized zygote to maturity when another zygote can be produced masculinisation, masculinization, virilisation, virilization - the abnormal development of male sexual characteristics in a female (usually as the result of hormone therapies or adrenal malfunction) morphogenesis - differentiation and growth of the structure of an organism (or a part of an organism) myelinisation, myelinization - the development of a myelin sheath around a nerve fiber neurogenesis - the development of nerve tissues biological process, organic process - a process occurring in living organisms palingenesis, recapitulation - emergence during embryonic development of various characters or structures that appeared during the evolutionary history of the strain or species proliferation - growth by the rapid multiplication of parts psychogenesis - a general term for the origin and development of almost any aspect of the mind psychogenesis - the development in the life of an individual of some disorder that is caused by psychological rather than physiological factors psychomotor development - progressive acquisition of skills involving both mental and motor activities psychosexual development - (psychoanalysis) the process during which personality and sexual behavior mature through a series of stages: first oral stage and then anal stage and then phallic stage and then latency stage and finally genital stage rooting - the process of putting forth roots and beginning to grow suppression - the failure to develop some part or organ teratogenesis - the development of defects in an embryo vegetation - the process of growth in plants isometry - the growth rates in different parts of a growing organism are the same nondevelopment - failure of normal development to occur | |
4. | development - a recent event that has some relevance for the present situation; "recent developments in Iraq"; "what a revolting development!" alteration, change, modification - an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another; "the change was intended to increase sales"; "this storm is certainly a change for the worse"; "the neighborhood had undergone few modifications since his last visit years ago" phenomenon - a remarkable development ramification, complication - a development that complicates a situation; "the court's decision had many unforeseen ramifications" | |
5. | 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" usage, use, utilisation, utilization, exercise, employment - the act of using; "he warned against the use of narcotic drugs"; "skilled in the utilization of computers" land development - making an area of land more useful overexploitation, overuse, overutilisation, overutilization - exploitation to the point of diminishing returns capitalisation, capitalization - the act of capitalizing on an opportunity commercialisation, commercialization - the act of commercializing something; involving something in commerce; "my father considered the commercialization of Christmas to be a sacrilege"; "the government tried to accelerate the commercialization of this development"; "both companies will retain control over the commercialization of their own products" electrification - the act of providing electricity; "the electrification of rural Tennessee" unitisation, unitization - the joint development of a petroleum resource that straddles territory controlled by different companies | |
6. | development - a district that has been developed to serve some purpose; "such land is practical for small park developments" housing development - a residential area of similar dwellings built by property developers and usually under a single management; "they live in the new housing development" housing estate - a residential area where the houses were all planned and built at the same time district, territorial dominion, territory, dominion - a region marked off for administrative or other purposes | |
7. | development - 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" chess game, chess - a board game for two players who move their 16 pieces according to specific rules; the object is to checkmate the opponent's king melioration, improvement - a condition superior to an earlier condition; "the new school represents a great improvement" underdevelopment - state of inadequate development; "much poverty can be traced to the underdevelopment of industry" | |
8. | ![]() processing - preparing or putting through a prescribed procedure; "the processing of newly arrived immigrants"; "the processing of ore to obtain minerals" underdevelopment - (photography) inadequate processing of film resulting in inadequate contrast | |
9. | development - (music) the section of a composition or movement (especially in sonata form) where the major musical themes are developed and elaborated section, subdivision - a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical); "he always turns first to the business section"; "the history of this work is discussed in the next section" music - an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner |