entwickeln

Entwickeln is a German verb meaning to develop, in the sense of bringing something from an initial state toward a more complete or advanced form. It is used across many domains, including everyday language, business, science, and arts. Common uses include developing a strategy or software, or developing a film photograph. Intransitive uses occur with reflexive or intransitive senses, as in sich entwickeln (to develop, to evolve).

The term is closely tied to the concept of process and progression. The related noun Entwicklung denotes development or development process. Phrases such as sich entwickeln (to develop or evolve), die Entwicklung eines Plans (the development of a plan), and die Entwicklung von Kindern (the development of children) illustrate its broad application. In professional contexts, it is paired with fields like Produktentwicklung (product development), Softwareentwicklung (software development), and Forschungs- und Entwicklungsabteilung (research and development department).

Grammatically, entwickeln is a regular verb. Typical forms include ich entwickle, du entwickelst, er entwickelt, wir entwickeln, ihr entwickelt, sie entwickeln. The past participle is entwickelt, and the simple past is entwickelte. The verb also forms common constructions with objects (etwas entwickeln) and with sich intransitively (sich entwickeln). Related terms include Entwicklung (development) and entwickeln als allgemeine Blüte von Ideen, Methoden oder Technologien.