Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - development

(developments) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. Development is the gradual growth or formation of something. ...an ideal system for studying the development of the embryo... N-UNCOUNT: with supp, oft N of n 2. Development is the growth of something such as a business or an industry. (BUSINESS) Education is central to a country’s economic development... N-UNCOUNT: with supp, oft N of n 3. Development is the process or result of making a basic design gradually better and more advanced. We are spending $850m on research and development. N-VAR 4. Development is the process of making an area of land or water more useful or profitable. The talks will focus on economic development of the region. N-UNCOUNT: with supp 5. A development is an event or incident which has recently happened and is likely to have an effect on the present situation. Police said there had been a significant development in the case. N-COUNT 6. A development is an area of houses or buildings which have been built by property developers. N-COUNT