Word
発展
Meaning in Englishdevelopment, growth, progress
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
Related sentences
Related sentences
There are no published items in this section yet.
Word context
What it means
発展 means development or progress. It describes the process by which something becomes more advanced, broader, or more capable over time, such as a country's economy, technology, or a project's scope.
Main meanings
- Development and progress of a country, region, industry, or field
- Expansion in resources, capabilities, or influence
- Personal or organizational growth over time
- Urban or infrastructural development as planning and implementation unfold
How to use it
Used in formal and written contexts to describe growth, progress, or expansion over time. In everyday speech, 発展 is often paired with する to indicate the action of developing something (発展する). It appears in academic, policy, business, and news discourse to discuss development trajectories, modernization, or improvements.
Variants and close terms
- 進展 (shinten) – progress
- 発達 (hattatsu) – development, maturation
- 成長 (seichō) – growth
- 拡大 (kakudai) – expansion
Composition
- 発: to start, to emit, begin
- 展: to unfold, to expand, display
- Together they form a noun meaning development or progress over time
Etymology
発 (on'yomi: hatsu) and 展 (on'yomi: ten) combine to form the noun 発展; the common reading is はってん (hatten).
Word class
noun (suru-verb)
Word
Related words by kanji and components
N1
再発
saihatsu
return, relapse, reoccurrence
N1
開発
kaihatsu
development, exploitation
N1
活発
kappatsu
vigor, active
N1
展示
tenji
exhibition, display
N1
展望
tembou
view, outlook, prospect
N1
進展
shinten
progress, development
N1
発育
hatsuiku
(physical) growth, development
N1
発芽
hatsuga
germination
N1
発掘
hakkutsu
excavation, exhumation; discovery (e.g., new talent)
Kanji