What it means
Moving toward a full, adult form. It is used for a child's growth through puberty, for the development of the fetus's organs (fetal lung maturation), for cells developing their final form in the bone marrow, and for the last phase of wound healing, when a scar strengthens over months.
Related terms
developmental
Relating to how a person grows and changes in body, mind and behavior across their life.
growth and development
The changes in body size (growth) and in skills and abilities (development) that happen across a person's life.