developmental

adjective

de·​vel·​op·​men·​tal dē-ˌve-ləp-ˈmen-tᵊl 

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

dē-ˌve-ləp-ˈmen-tᵊl-ē 

adverb

Synonyms

• experimental
• pilot
• trial

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

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

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing developmental

• developmental biology
• developmental disability
• developmental disorder
• evolutionary developmental biology
• pervasive developmental disorder

Kids Definition

developmental

adjective

de·​vel·​op·​men·​tal -ˌvel-əp-ˈment-əl 

: of or relating to development

developmentally

-əl-ē 

adverb