development

Compared meaning: a process of growing or developing (noun).

比较义项：生长或发展的过程（名词）。

• growth

  Growth stresses a quantitative increase in size, number, or amount; it fits measurable expansion (population, sales, cells) rather than a staged process of change.

  growth 强调数量、体积或数量上的增加，用于人口、销售额、细胞等可衡量的扩张，而不是分阶段的变化过程。

  Bacteria growth doubled every twenty minutes in the warm, moist environment.

  在温暖潮湿的环境中，细菌的生长每二十分钟就翻一倍。

• development 本词

  Development stresses a staged process of change, progress, or improvement, often making something more advanced rather than simply bigger, as in the fixed phrase 'research and development'.

  development 强调随阶段推进的变化、进步或改善过程，往往是使事物变得更先进，而不仅仅是变大，常见于“research and development”这类固定搭配中。

  The new drug went through years of research and development before approval.

  这种新药在获得批准之前，经历了多年的研究与开发。

Both mean 'a process of change'. Growth stresses an increase in size or amount, fitting things like population or sales. Development stresses a staged process of change, as in 'research and development'. Not covered: growth as 'a tumor', development as 'a housing area' or 'news'.

growth 和 development 在“生长或发展的过程”这一意义上很接近，但 growth 强调数量或体积上的增加，development 强调分阶段的变化或进步过程。这里不比较 growth 表示“肿块、增生物”的意思，也不比较 development 表示“住宅区”或“新情况、新进展”的意思。

Compared meaning: a gradual process of change over time (noun).

比较义项：随时间逐渐发展、变化的过程（名词）。

• evolution

  Describes a gradual, often natural or unplanned process of change over time, not necessarily an improvement, as with species or traditions changing on their own.

  描述随时间推移逐渐发生的、往往是自然或无人为计划的变化过程，不一定意味着变得更好，比如物种或传统自行发生的演变。

  No one planned it — the evolution of the tradition happened naturally over centuries.

  没有人刻意规划过——这一传统的演变是在几个世纪中自然发生的。

• development 本词

  Implies becoming more advanced or capable, usually through deliberate effort or investment, as in building a product or skill.

  意指经过刻意的努力或投入而变得更先进、更有能力，比如打造产品或提升技能。

  The company invested heavily in software development last year.

  这家公司去年在软件开发上投入了大量资金。

Evolution and development both describe change over time. Evolution is a gradual, often natural or unplanned process, not necessarily an improvement, as with species changing on their own. Development implies becoming more advanced, usually through deliberate effort, as in building a product or skill.

这两个词都可以表示随着时间推移逐渐发生变化的过程，但语义侧重不同：evolution 强调自然、渐进、甚至无人为计划的演变，不一定意味着变得更好；development 则特指经过努力或投入而变得更先进、更完善。这里不涉及 development 表示“发育”（如儿童发育）的用法。