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 of developmental

• experimental
• investigative

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

The Navy called the flight a developmental milestone as Blackbeard moves toward Early Operational Capability (EOC). — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026

The Giants trading for a younger developmental quarterback rather than adding a veteran backup nevertheless remains a curiosity, since going in that direction eventually may be incongruent with the team’s original aspirations for 2026. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026

Just before the child turned 2, doctors estimated their developmental age to be around 6 weeks. — Inaya Folarin Iman, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026

Head Start is required to serve at least two meals per day to the young children who attend these schools, as well as offer speech therapy and other kinds of developmental support and health services when needed. — Alexander Thim, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026

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

Rhymes for developmental

• coincidental
• environmental
• experimental
• intersegmental
• nongovernmental
• transcontinental
• unsentimental
• accidental
• compartmental
• continental
• detrimental
• elemental

Kids Definition

developmental

adjective

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

: of or relating to development

developmentally

-əl-ē 

adverb