Development
Development noun - A process in which something passes by degrees to a different stage (especially a more advanced or mature stage).
Usage example: the development of his ideas took many years
Devolution is an antonym for development.
Devolution
Devolution noun - A change to a lower state or level.
Usage example: the gradual devolution of the neighborhood from a thriving community of close-knit families to a drug-ridden slum
How words are described
| human | human development | human devolution |
| slow | slow development | slow devolution |
| spiritual | spiritual development | spiritual devolution |
| further | further development | further devolution |
| Other adjectives: greater, subsequent, technological. | ||
Cite this Source
Devolution and Development. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 22, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/development/devolution
Development & Devolution. N.p., 2016. Web. 22 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/development/devolution>.
Devolution or Development. 2016. Accessed July 22, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/development/devolution.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "development" and "devolution" have occurred on timeline