underdeveloped
adjective
un·der·de·vel·oped
ˌən-dər-di-ˈve-ləpt 
1
: not normally or adequately developed
underdeveloped muscles
underdeveloped film
2
: having a relatively low economic level of industrial production and standard of living (as from lack of capital)
underdeveloped nations
Examples of underdeveloped in a Sentence
The baby was born with underdeveloped lungs.
Recent Examples on the Web
Even for well-meaning, high-performing leaders, the ability to pass the baton is a rare and often underdeveloped skill.
—
Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Their business faces other barriers: A plot point that sees the twins stealing electricity for the juke joint recalls the fact that most of the South, kept poor and underdeveloped by the demands of the segregated economy, didn’t have electricity until the New Deal, under FDR.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 2 May 2025
In 22 underdeveloped countries, Food for Peace provided partial wage payments for over 700,000 workers engaged in land clearance, irrigation, reforestation, and the construction of roads, schools, hospitals, and agricultural cooperatives.
— Made By History, Time, 23 Apr. 2025
The central relationship between Ridley (Jenna Ortega) and her lawyer dad Elliot (Paul Rudd) — an underwritten character — rings hollow, while the mythological unicorn elements thrown in seem rote and underdeveloped.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underdeveloped
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Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Their business faces other barriers: A plot point that sees the twins stealing electricity for the juke joint recalls the fact that most of the South, kept poor and underdeveloped by the demands of the segregated economy, didn’t have electricity until the New Deal, under FDR.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 2 May 2025
In 22 underdeveloped countries, Food for Peace provided partial wage payments for over 700,000 workers engaged in land clearance, irrigation, reforestation, and the construction of roads, schools, hospitals, and agricultural cooperatives.
— Made By History, Time, 23 Apr. 2025
The central relationship between Ridley (Jenna Ortega) and her lawyer dad Elliot (Paul Rudd) — an underwritten character — rings hollow, while the mythological unicorn elements thrown in seem rote and underdeveloped.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underdeveloped
Cite this Entry
“Underdeveloped.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underdeveloped. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
underdeveloped
adjective
un·der·de·vel·oped
ˌən-dər-di-ˈvel-əpt
1
: not developed normally or enough
underdeveloped muscles
2
: having a low level of industrial production and standard of living
the underdeveloped nations
Medical Definition
underdeveloped
adjective
un·der·de·vel·oped
ˌən-dər-di-ˈvel-əpt
: not normally or adequately developed
underdeveloped muscles
underdeveloped lungs
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