developing

American  

[dih-vel-uh-ping] / dɪˈvɛl ə pɪŋ /

adjective

1. undergoing development; growing; evolving.

2. (of a nation or geographical area) having a standard of living or level of industrial production well below that possible with financial or technical aid; not yet highly industrialized.

   the developing world.

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Other Word Forms

• nondeveloping adjective
• self-developing adjective
• undeveloping adjective

Etymology

Origin of developing

First recorded in 1765–75; develop + -ing ²

Explanation

Use the adjective developing to describe a country that's relatively poor and has a lower standard of living than most other countries in the world. There's not a specific standard for calling a country developing, but there are some societies that most of the world agrees are less industrialized than most. Developing countries generally have poorer people and a less vibrant economy than more developed countries. Some countries object to being called developing, since it implies that all countries want to become "developed," or more Western in their economy and government, which is not necessarily true.

Example Sentences

Research presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research indicates that non-smoking Americans under age 50 who follow healthier diets could face a higher risk of developing lung cancer.

From Science Daily • Apr. 17, 2026

Asked if she had any worries about the technology, Kendall said: "No, I think that how it is developing is safe. We obviously have to think through the implications for jobs."

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

Both companies brought to market the first GLP-1 injections for obesity; now they each have a pill, though they took different approaches to developing their oral medications.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

Under his leadership, what began as the $100 million Templeton Emerging Markets Fund blossomed into the firm’s sprawling Emerging Markets Group, which focused on the world’s developing economies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Kindling the spark: Recognizing and developing musical talent.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Related Words

• booming
• burgeoning
• flourishing
• growing
• healthy
• prosperous
• robust
• wealthy