What does developmentally mean?
"Developmentally" is an adverb used to frame statements in terms of growth and maturation, particularly the physical, cognitive, and emotional progress of children. It allows speakers and writers to qualify a claim by its relation to developmental norms: a child may be described as developmentally advanced, on track, or delayed, and classroom materials may be judged developmentally appropriate for a given age group. The word belongs chiefly to formal and professional registers — paediatrics, psychology, special education, and public policy — where precision about stages of growth matters. Its most familiar appearances are in set phrases such as "developmentally appropriate practice" and "developmentally disabled," the latter being the currently accepted respectful term in many official contexts. Because it attaches an entire framework of scientific thinking about human growth onto an ordinary statement, "developmentally" is a small word with considerable explanatory power, letting one adverb situate behaviour, ability, or design within the arc of maturation.
adverbIn a manner relating to the growth, maturation, or progressive development of an organism or mind; especially with reference to the stages of physical, cognitive, or emotional development in children.
- With regard to the physical, cognitive, or emotional growth and maturation of a person, especially a child.
- With regard to the gradual unfolding or progression of something over time (less common, extended use).
"The paediatrician noted that the child was developmentally ahead of her peers in language skills."
"Blocks and pretend play are developmentally appropriate activities for toddlers."
"He was born prematurely and remains developmentally behind other children his age."
The phrase 'developmentally appropriate' is so entrenched in education and parenting that it's often shortened to the acronym DAP — a term of art every early-childhood teacher knows.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of developmentally
"Developmentally" derives from "developmental," which combines the noun "development" with the adjectival suffix "-al"; the adverb is formed with "-ly." "Development" itself traces through French "développement" to the verb "develop," from Old French "desveloper," meaning to unwrap or unfold — literally to remove ("des-") the wrapping ("voloper"), related to "envelope." The figurative sense of gradual growth or advancement was well established in English by the eighteenth century, and the specialized adverb emerged as developmental science matured in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Related word forms
How developmentally is actually used
Register is formal to technical: the word is at home in medicine, psychology, education, and policy writing rather than casual conversation. It most frequently appears in the fixed phrases 'developmentally appropriate', 'developmentally delayed', and 'developmentally disabled'; in sensitive contexts, 'developmentally disabled' is preferred over older, now-offensive terms.
Easily confused with developmentally
'Developmental' is the adjective describing something related to development, while 'developmentally' is the adverb describing how an action or state relates to development.