# developed

/dɪˈvɛɫəpt/ (US) · /dɪvˈɛləpt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/developed
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. wealthy and industrialised

adjective · CEFR B1

describing a country with a lot of industry, modern technology, and a strong economy.

For teachers: referring to a nation or region with a highly industrialised economy, advanced infrastructure, and a high standard of living.

- Many developed countries are working together to reduce their carbon emissions.
- The transition from an agrarian society to a developed economy requires significant investment in education and digital infrastructure.

### 2. advanced or mature

adjective · CEFR B2

fully grown or having reached an advanced stage.

For teachers: having reached a state of maturity, complexity, or full functional capacity.

- The young athlete already has a very developed sense of discipline.
- By the third trimester, the foetus has highly developed internal organs capable of supporting life outside the womb.

### 3. photography

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

describing film that has been treated with chemicals so the pictures can be seen.

For teachers: referring to photographic film or paper that has undergone chemical processing to render a latent image visible and permanent.

- She took the roll of developed film to the shop to get prints made.
- The photographer spent hours in the darkroom examining the developed negatives for any signs of light leakage.

Usage: In modern contexts, this usually refers to traditional analogue photography rather than digital files.

## Examples

- I need to get this roll of film developed.
- She spent the entire afternoon in the darkroom to see how the portraits she took at the wedding developed.
- Before digital sensors became the industry standard, photographers had to wait hours or even days for their negatives to be developed in a laboratory before they could review their work.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.