develop
verb
de·vel·op
| \ di-ˈve-ləp
, dē-\
, dē-\
developed;
developing;
develops
Definition of develop
1a
: to set forth or make clear by degrees or in detail : expound
develop a thesis
b
: to make visible or manifest
developed the scene in her mind
c
dyeing
: to treat with an agent to cause the appearance of color
d
photography
: to subject (exposed material) especially to chemicals in order to produce a visible image
develop film
also
: to make visible by such a method
develop pictures
e
: to elaborate (a musical idea) by the working out of rhythmic and harmonic changes in the theme (see theme sense 4)
2a
: to work out the possibilities of
develop an idea
b
: to create or produce especially by deliberate effort over time
develop new ways of doing business develop software
3a
: to make active or promote the growth of
developed his muscles developing your mental abilities
b(1)
: to make available or usable
develop natural resources
(2)
: to make suitable for commercial or residential purposes
develop land
c
games
: to move (a chess piece) from the original position to one providing more opportunity for effective use
develop the rook
4a
: to cause to evolve or unfold gradually : to lead or conduct (something) through a succession of states or changes each of which is preparatory for the next
developed his argument
b
: to expand by a process of growth
working to develop the company further
c
biology
: to cause to grow and differentiate along lines natural to its kind
more rain will be needed to develop the plants properly
d
: to become infected or affected by
developed pneumonia
5
: to acquire gradually
develop an appreciation for ballet
1 biology
a
: to go through a process of natural growth, differentiation (see differentiation sense 3), or evolution by successive changes
A blossom develops from a bud.
b
: to acquire secondary sex characteristics
the year that her breasts fully developed
2
: to become gradually manifest
the facts that developed over the next few days
3
: to come into being gradually
the situation developing in eastern Europe
also
: turn out sense 2a
it developed that no one had paid the bill
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Other Words from develop
developable
\ di-ˈve-lə-pə-bəl
, dē- \
adjective
, dē- \
adjective
Examples of develop in a Sentence
She has been exercising regularly to develop her back muscles.
The story was later developed into a novel.
The island has developed its economy around tourism.
The course is designed to develop your writing skills.
A blossom develops from a bud.
The doctor says that the child is developing normally.
In this class, we will be learning about how languages develop.
Scientists are developing a treatment for the disease.
The company has developed a new method for recycling old tires.
He develops the concept more fully in his book.
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Recent Examples on the Web
The tests appear to violate UN resolutions that bar the country from developing or testing ballistic missiles. — Nick Cumming-bruce, BostonGlobe.com, "North Korea accuses US and South Korea of ‘inciting military tension’," 6 Aug. 2019 The good news stems from the arrival of new offensive coordinator Dan Enos, who has developed a reputation for getting the most out of his quarterback room. — Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, "The 10 biggest quarterback competitions in college football during fall camp," 6 Aug. 2019 Dubiousness is actually healthy when talking about any developing player. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Hunter Renfroe has gone from on the fringe to on the cusp for Padres," 6 Aug. 2019 Russian space officials have gone from dismissing the economics of reusable launch to creating a new design bureau with the express purpose of studying and developing reusable launch vehicles. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "SpaceX to launch a rare expendable mission on Tuesday evening," 6 Aug. 2019 The strategic relationship with Hypergiant Industries is designed to capitalize on the skillsets of both companies and develop Booz Allen’s intellectual property archive into new products. — Kara Carlson, Dallas News, "AI company Hypergiant to help consulting firm turn intellectual property into products," 6 Aug. 2019 The company has since developed a new COPV design, which has been flying since the end of last year, and has had 45 consecutive successful mission since returning to flight after the explosion. — Chabeli Herrera, orlandosentinel.com, "SpaceX plans to launch a satellite Tuesday, and its customer is getting the flight for free," 6 Aug. 2019 Propped on the bar are corn cobs with deep red kernels, developed at the University of Wisconsin in 1939 and planted in the mid-20th century by Jerry Henry as cattle feed. — Mary Bergin, chicagotribune.com, "From the soil to suds and spirits: Where to find creative cocktails and beer on Wisconsin farms," 6 Aug. 2019 To do this, Spivack tapped Bruce Ha, a scientist who developed a technique for engraving high-resolution, nano-scale images into nickel. — Daniel Oberhaus, WIRED, "A Crashed Israeli Lunar Lander Spilled Tardigrades on the Moon," 5 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'develop.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for develop
develop
verb
English Language Learners Definition of develop
: to cause (something) to grow or become bigger or more advanced
: to grow or become bigger or more advanced
: to create (something) over a period of time
See the full definition for develop in the English Language Learners Dictionary
develop
verb