development

Universal Words noun growth 1 [U] the gradual growth of sth so that it becomes more advanced, stronger, etc: a baby's development in the womb * the development of basic skills such as literacy and numeracy * career development new product 2 [U,C] the process of producing or creating sth new or more advanced; a new or advanced product: the development of vaccines against tropical diseases * The government is encouraging the development of small businesses. * developments in aviation technology * This piece of equipment is an exciting new development. seealsoRESEARCHANDDEVELOPMENT new event 3 [C] a new event or stage that is likely to affect what happens in a continuing situation: the latest developments in the war * Are there further developments in the investigation? new buildings 4 [C] a piece of land with new buildings on it: a commercial / business / housing development 5 [U] the process of using an area of land especially to make a profit by building on it, etc: He bought the land for development.