noun a process in which something passes by degrees to a different stage (especially a more advanced or mature stage)
Synonymsevolution
noun (biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
Oppositesnondevelopment
noun the act of making some area of land or water more profitable or productive or useful
Synonymsexploitation
noun processing a photosensitive material in order to make an image visible
Synonymsdeveloping
Source: WordNet 3.1, Princeton University