developmental

adjective

de·​vel·​op·​men·​tal dē-ˌve-ləp-ˈmen-tᵊl How to pronounce developmental (audio)
1
a
: of, relating to, or being development
developmental processes
developmental biology
broadly : experimental sense 2
developmental aircraft
b
: serving economic development
developmental highways
2
: designed to assist growth or bring about improvement (as of a skill)
developmental toys
developmentally adverb

Examples of developmental in a Sentence

A drop in temperature can slow the plant's developmental process. a child with developmental abnormalities My theory is still in its developmental stage.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Like tree rings, they can be used to infer developmental speeds and timing. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 13 Nov. 2024 Janet Werker is a developmental psychologist at the University of British Columbia who studies language acquisition in infants. Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2024 Gerry has worked in various developmental aspects for Scott Rudin, Hilary Swank, Terrence Malick and Walter Salles. Katie Campione, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2024 Now, of course, L.A. has drafted another raw, developmental project at the point, former USC Trojans backup point guard Bronny James. Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for developmental 

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of developmental was in 1830

Dictionary Entries Near developmental

Cite this Entry

“Developmental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/developmental. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

developmental

adjective
de·​vel·​op·​men·​tal -ˌvel-əp-ˈment-əl How to pronounce developmental (audio)
: of or relating to development
developmentally adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on developmental

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!