developer

developer — noun

1. a business or individual that purchases land or existing properties, builds new

1.nounB2
Definition

a business or individual that purchases land or existing properties, builds new ones or renovates old ones, and then leases or sells them as a way of earning income

Example

Naoko works for a developer that is building new apartments on old factory sites.

collocation: property developer / real estate developer

The city sold waterfront land to a developer who plans to build a shopping centre.

Common collocations
  • property developer
  • real estate developer
  • local developer
  • major developer
Synonyms
  • property developer

    more specific; implies focus on residential or commercial buildings

  • builder

    emphasises the construction work rather than the business side

  • contractor

    focuses on the construction contract, not necessarily land acquisition

Grammar Patterns

developer + of + [place/land]

Usage Note

Frequently used in business and news reporting. The compounds 'property developer' and 'real estate developer' are very common. Can refer either to an individual businessperson or to a construction company.

Common Mistakes

The developer of this new drug took over ten years to complete.
The development of this new drug took over ten years to complete.
'developer' refers to the person or company doing the work, not to the process or duration.
The city approved the developer of a new park last week.
The city approved the development of a new park last week.
use 'development' when talking about the project or activity, not the person doing it.

2. someone whose professional work is writing computer code and building software p

2.nounB1
Definition

someone whose professional work is writing computer code and building software programs, or more broadly any individual or firm that conceives and manufactures new products

Example

Ayana works as a software developer for a company that makes mobile games.

common phrase: software developer

The developer fixed a bug in the app that caused the screen to go blank.

Common collocations
  • software developer
  • web developer
  • app developer
  • game developer
  • freelance developer
  • lead developer
Synonyms
  • programmer

    focuses on writing code rather than the full product design

  • software engineer

    implies formal engineering methods and often a higher level of responsibility

  • coder

    informal term; emphasises the act of writing code

Antonyms
  • user

    the person who uses the software rather than creating it

Grammar Patterns

software developer

web developer

game developer

Usage Note

By far the most common modern use of 'developer' without a modifier refers to a software developer. When the sense is about products other than software, the context usually names the industry (e.g. 'product developer', 'game developer').

Common Mistakes

I want to become a developer of websites.
I want to become a web developer.
English prefers the compound noun 'web developer' or 'software developer' over the 'developer of X' pattern.
The developer returned my call and fixed my laptop.
The technician returned my call and fixed my laptop.
a developer writes code; a technician repairs hardware.

3. a chemical substance, usually a liquid, that is applied to exposed photographic

3.nounC1
Definition

a chemical substance, usually a liquid, that is applied to exposed photographic film or paper to make the hidden image visible

Example

Xiu poured the developer into a tray and placed the film inside to process it.

technical noun: film developer

The photographer mixed the developer powder with water at exactly twenty degrees Celsius.

collocation: mix developer with water

Common collocations
  • film developer
  • developer solution
  • developer powder
  • black-and-white developer
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • fixer

    the chemical used after developer to make the image permanent and light-resistant

Grammar Patterns

film developer

developer solution

Usage Note

This technical sense is restricted to analogue photography. Usually uncountable when referring to the chemical as a substance ('some developer') but countable when referring to a specific product ('a good developer'). Fixer is a separate chemical used after developer.

Common Mistakes

I need to buy more developer for my phone camera.
I need to buy more developer for my film camera.
this sense only applies to traditional film photography, not digital devices.

4. a child whose pattern of growth—physical, mental, or emotional—is at a particula

4.nounB2
Definition

a child whose pattern of growth—physical, mental, or emotional—is at a particular stage or pace, usually described by a word such as 'early', 'late', or 'slow'

Example

Their son Caio was a slow developer but caught up with classmates by age five.

structure: adjective + developer (slow developer, early developer)

The doctor said their daughter is an early developer and may start reading before kindergarten.

Common collocations
  • slow developer
  • early developer
  • late developer
  • quick developer

Grammar Patterns

[adjective] + developer

early/late/slow developer

Usage Note

This sense always requires a preceding modifier (e.g. 'early', 'late', 'slow'). Never used without an adjective or similar qualifier. When describing a specific area, use the pattern '[adjective] developer with [area]' as in 'a slow developer with reading'.

Common Mistakes

My son is a developer, so he needs extra help at school.
My son is a slow developer, so he needs extra help at school.
this sense always needs a modifier like 'early', 'late', or 'slow'; without one, readers will assume the software sense.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

While all four terms describe people who build technology products, they differ in focus and formality. 'Programmer' emphasises the act of writing instructions in a programming language; it is the most neutral term for someone who writes code. 'Software engineer' suggests a more formal, system-level approach that includes design, testing, and architecture — it often carries a higher professional status. 'Coder' is informal and often used by people outside the industry; it focuses purely on writing code rather than designing solutions. 'Designer' overlaps only when referring to someone who plans the user interface or experience, not the underlying code. For example, a developer might design the database structure and write the code, whereas a designer creates the layout and colour scheme but does not code.

programmersoftware engineercoderdesigner ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Prepositions

Etymology

Old FrenchFrenchEnglish

The noun 'developer' is formed from the verb 'develop' plus the suffix '-er', meaning 'one who does'. The verb 'develop' entered English from French 'développer', which meant 'to unwrap' or 'to unfold'. The photographic sense (a chemical that 'unfolds' the hidden image on film) appeared first in the mid-1800s. The real estate sense followed in the early 1900s, and the software sense emerged with the computer industry in the 1960s and 70s.