developer

noun

de·​vel·​op·​er di-ˈve-lə-pər 

dē-

: one that develops: such as

a

: a chemical used to develop exposed photographic materials

b

: a person who develops real estate

c

: a person or company that develops computer software

Synonyms of developer

• inventor
• designer
• founder
• creator

Examples of developer in a Sentence

the developer of software that is used the world over

Recent Examples on the Web

In August, Beijing announced new restrictions on developers' ability to sell unfinished properties. — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026

Reminiscent of the old lot developers who flew planeloads of would-be buyers to Florida and Arizona to sell them building sites, some builders are offering to cover travel costs for out-of-town buyers who want to visit their properties. — Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026

Imagine matching with a man on a dating app who claims to be a San Francisco 49ers wide receiver and a successful real estate developer from Switzerland. — Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 7 Oct. 2026

Gulf developers are piling into Syria’s reconstruction, part of a broader effort that’s aligned with US interests to fill the gap left after Iran and Russia lost influence with the fall of the previous regime in 2024. — semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1772, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing developer

• co-developer

Kids Definition

developer

noun

de·​vel·​op·​er di-ˈvel-ə-pər 

: one that develops: as

a

: a chemical used to develop exposed photographic materials

b

: a person who develops real estate

especially : one who divides land and builds and sells houses on it