Development is the process of growing, improving, or creating something over time. When a tadpole gradually transforms into a frog, that's development. When a neighborhood gets new parks, schools, and houses, that's development too. The word captures how things change from simple to complex, from small to large, or from rough to refined.

In science, development often means how living things grow and change. Scientists study child development to understand how babies learn to walk, talk, and think. A butterfly's development from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to winged adult takes weeks of remarkable transformation.

The word also describes creating something new, especially through planning and effort. Video game developers work on a game's development for years, writing code, designing characters, and testing levels. When a company is in development on a new product, they're working on it but haven't released it yet. Real estate developers transform empty land into neighborhoods.

You'll also hear development used for improvements in skills or ideas. A writer might talk about character development in a story, meaning how characters grow and change. When your soccer coach notices development in your footwork, she's seeing real improvement from practice. Development suggests progress that builds on itself: each step forward makes the next step possible.