misdevelop

verb

mis·​de·​vel·​op ˌmis-di-ˈve-ləp How to pronounce misdevelop (audio)
-dē-
misdeveloped; misdeveloping

transitive + intransitive

: to develop wrongly
… and its sap-sucking causes the developing seeds to wither and misdevelop.Leslie Powell
… there are plenty of lines of human endeavor … in which standardization is eminently proper; but it is peculiarly easy to misdevelop it into a wooden and cramping formalism.Theodore Roosevelt

Word History

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of misdevelop was in 1843

Dictionary Entries Near misdevelop

Cite this Entry

“Misdevelop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misdevelop. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

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