Develop vs. Foster — What's the Difference?
By Urooj Arif & Maham Liaqat — Updated on April 29, 2024
"Develop" refers to the process of bringing about growth or change through progressive stages, often involving structured or systematic methods. "Foster," implies encouragement or nurturing, particularly by providing support or a favorable environment.
Difference Between Develop and Foster
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Develop" is commonly used in contexts where systematic and progressive steps are involved, such as in software development, urban planning, or skill enhancement. It implies a direct, often intentional, involvement in creating or enhancing capabilities, structures, or systems. In contrast, "foster" is typically used in more nurturing contexts, such as fostering a child, encouraging creativity, or promoting an idea. It suggests providing support, care, and conditions necessary for something or someone to grow, rather than directly crafting the outcome.
In educational settings, to develop skills in students might involve structured programs, specific teaching methods, and measurable objectives. Meanwhile, to foster a love for reading might include creating an inviting reading corner, providing access to various books, and allowing freedom of choice in reading selection, thus creating an environment conducive to developing a habit organically.
In business, a manager might develop a strategy through detailed research, planning, and implementation to achieve specific goals. Conversely, the same manager might foster a collaborative culture by encouraging open communication and teamwork, thereby setting the stage for the team to naturally evolve towards more collaborative practices.
When it comes to results, development often targets specific, predefined outcomes and is usually goal-oriented and time-bound. Fostering, however, may have more fluid objectives and is more about creating the right conditions for natural growth, which can lead to unexpected or broader outcomes.
The concept of development is often linked with progress and innovation, frequently used in the context of economic, social, or technological advancements. Foster, on the other hand, is associated with care, support, and community, commonly used in social, educational, and psychological contexts to emphasize the nurturing of relationships, talents, or ideas.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
To bring about growth or change through direct intervention and structured stages.
To encourage or promote growth by providing support or a favorable environment.
Key Actions
Planning, building, implementing.
Supporting, nurturing, providing care.
Contexts
Business development, skill development, software development.
Fostering relationships, fostering creativity, fostering a safe environment.
Objectives
Often specific, measurable, and time-bound.
Broader, more fluid, potentially open-ended.
Result Orientation
Goal-oriented, looking for specific outcomes.
Environment-oriented, facilitating natural growth.
Compare with Definitions
Develop
To cause to grow or become more mature, advanced, or elaborate.
The company plans to develop a new product line next year.
Foster
To promote the growth or development of; to nurture.
She fostered an interest in music in her children by taking them to concerts regularly.
Develop
To expand according to a systematic plan, by a defined process.
The city plans to develop the waterfront area into a recreational park.
Foster
To encourage or promote in the growth of something.
The new policy is aimed at fostering innovation within the tech industry.
Develop
Involvement in direct construction or formation.
The software engineer develops code for new software applications.
Foster
To provide the care and support needed to help something grow.
He fostered his relationships with colleagues through regular communication and mutual respect.
Develop
To bring out the capabilities or possibilities of.
Teachers work to develop each student’s unique talents.
Foster
To care for or cherish something.
The organization fosters abandoned pets until they find new homes.
Develop
To go through a process of natural growth.
Over the years, he developed a reputation as a reliable consultant.
Foster
To adopt an approach that enables development indirectly.
By fostering an open environment, the team was more creative and effective.
Develop
Grow or cause to grow and become more mature, advanced, or elaborate
Enabling individuals to develop their personal skills
Motion pictures were to develop into mass entertainment
Foster
To bring up; nurture
Bear and foster offspring.
Develop
Start to exist, experience, or possess
A strange closeness developed
Call the doctor if your child develops a rash
I developed an interest in law
Foster
To promote the growth and development of; cultivate
Detect and foster artistic talent.
Develop
Treat (a photographic film) with chemicals to make a visible image
She came to get the film developed
Foster
To nurse; cherish
Foster a secret hope.
Develop
Bring (a piece) into play from its initial position on a player's back rank
He preferred to develop his bishop on e7
Foster
Providing parental care to children not related to oneself.
Foster parents
Develop
To bring from latency to or toward fulfillment
An instructor who develops the capabilities of each student.
Foster
Receiving such care.
A foster child
Develop
To expand or enlarge
Developed a national corporation into a worldwide business.
Foster
Related by such care.
We are a foster family.
Develop
To aid in the growth of; strengthen
Exercises that develop muscles.
Foster
A foster parent.
Some fosters end up adopting.
Develop
To improve the quality of; refine
Develops his recipes to perfection.
An extra year of study to develop virtuosic technique.
Foster
(uncountable) The care given to another; guardianship.
Develop
To cause to become more complex or intricate; add detail and fullness to; elaborate
Began with a good premise but developed it without imagination.
Foster
(transitive) To nurture or bring up offspring, or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child.
Develop
(Music) To elaborate (a theme) with rhythmic and harmonic variations.
Foster
(transitive) To cultivate and grow something.
Our company fosters an appreciation for the arts.
Develop
To bring into being gradually
Develop a new cottage industry.
Foster
(transitive) To nurse or cherish something.
Develop
To set forth or clarify by degrees
Developed her thesis in a series of articles.
Foster
To be nurtured or trained up together.
Develop
To come to have gradually; acquire
Develop a taste for opera.
Develop a friendship.
Foster
To feed; to nourish; to support; to bring up.
Some say that ravens foster forlorn children.
Develop
To become affected with; contract
Developed a rash.
Developed agoraphobia.
Foster
To cherish; to promote the growth of; to encourage; to sustain and promote; as, to foster genius.
Develop
To influence the behavior of toward a specific end
An investigator who develops witnesses through flattery and intimidation.
Foster
To be nourished or trained up together.
Develop
To cause (a tract of land or a building) to serve a particular purpose
Developed the site as a community of condominiums.
Foster
A forester.
Develop
To make available and effective to fulfill a particular end or need
Develop the state's water resources to serve a growing population.
Foster
United States songwriter whose songs embody the sentiment of the South before the American Civil War (1826-1864)
Develop
To convert or transform
Developed the play into a movie.
Foster
Promote the growth of;
Foster our children's well-being and education
Develop
(Games) To move (a chess piece) to or toward a more strategic position.
Foster
Bring up under fosterage; of children
Develop
To process (a photosensitive medium such as exposed film) in order to produce a photographic image.
Foster
Help develop, help grow;
Nurture his talents
Develop
To produce (a photographic image) by use of a photosensitive medium or by printing from a digital file.
Develop
To grow by degrees into a more advanced or mature state
With hard work, she developed into a great writer.
Develop
To increase or expand
Sales developed until we needed a bigger warehouse.
Develop
To improve; advance
Their skill developed until it rivaled their teacher's.
Develop
To come gradually into existence or activity
Tension developed between students and faculty.
Develop
To come gradually to light; be disclosed
Reports the news as it develops.
Develop
To progress from earlier to later stages of a life cycle
Caterpillars develop into butterflies.
Develop
To progress from earlier to later stages of evolution
Mammals developed during the Mesozoic Era.
Develop
To discover, find out; to uncover.
Develop
(intransitive) To change with a specific direction, progress.
Let's see how things develop and then make our decision.
Develop
(ambitransitive) To progress through a sequence of stages.
Isabel developed from a tropical depression to a tropical storm to a hurricane.
An embryo develops into a fetus and then into an infant.
Develop
(transitive) To advance; to further; to promote the growth of.
Develop
(transitive) To create.
I need to develop a plan for the next three weeks.
Develop
(transitive) To bring out images latent in photographic film.
Please develop this roll of film.
Develop
(transitive) To acquire something usually over a period of time.
I have been in England enough to develop a British accent.
You will develop calluses if you play the cello.
She developed bad eating habits.
Develop
To place one's pieces actively.
I need to develop my white-square bishop.
Develop
To cause a ball to become more open and available to be played on later. Usually by moving it away from the cushion, or by opening a pack.
Develop
(math) To change the form of (an algebraic expression, etc.) by executing certain indicated operations without changing the value.
Develop
To free from that which infolds or envelops; to unfold; to lay open by degrees or in detail; to make visible or known; to disclose; to produce or give forth; as, to develop theories; a motor that develops 100 horse power.
These serve to develop its tenets.
The 20th was spent in strengthening our position and developing the line of the enemy.
Develop
To unfold gradually, as a flower from a bud; hence, to bring through a succession of states or stages, each of which is preparatory to the next; to form or expand by a process of growth; to cause to change gradually from an embryo, or a lower state, to a higher state or form of being; as, sunshine and rain develop the bud into a flower; to develop the mind.
The sound developed itself into a real compound.
All insects . . . acquire the jointed legs before the wings are fully developed.
Develop
To advance; to further; to prefect; to make to increase; to promote the growth of.
We must develop our own resources to the utmost.
Develop
To change the form of, as of an algebraic expression, by executing certain indicated operations without changing the value.
Develop
To cause to become visible, as an invisible or latent image upon plate, by submitting it to chemical agents; to bring to view.
Develop
To go through a process of natural evolution or growth, by successive changes from a less perfect to a more perfect or more highly organized state; to advance from a simpler form of existence to one more complex either in structure or function; as, a blossom develops from a bud; the seed develops into a plant; the embryo develops into a well-formed animal; the mind develops year by year.
Nor poets enough to understandThat life develops from within.
Develop
To become apparent gradually; as, a picture on sensitive paper develops on the application of heat; the plans of the conspirators develop.
Develop
Make something new, such as a product or a mental or artistic creation;
Her company developed a new kind of building material that withstands all kinds of weather
They developed a new technique
Develop
Work out;
We have developed a new theory of evolution
Develop
Gain through experience;
I acquired a strong aversion to television
Children must develop a sense of right and wrong
Dave developed leadership qualities in his new position
Develop a passion for painting
Develop
Come into existence; take on form or shape;
A new religious movement originated in that country
A love that sprang up from friendship
The idea for the book grew out of a short story
An interesting phenomenon uprose
Develop
Change the use of and make available or usable;
Develop land
The country developed its natural resources
The remote areas of the country were gradually built up
Develop
Elaborate, as of theories and hypotheses;
Could you develop the ideas in your thesis
Develop
Create by training and teaching;
The old master is training world-class violinists
We develop the leaders for the future
Develop
Be gradually disclosed or unfolded; become manifest;
The plot developed slowly
Develop
Grow, progress, unfold, or evolve through a process of evolution, natural growth, differentiation, or a conducive environment;
A flower developed on the branch
The country developed into a mighty superpower
The embryo develops into a fetus
This situation has developed over a long time
Develop
Become technologically advanced;
Many countries in Asia are now developing at a very fast pace
Viet Nam is modernizing rapidly
Develop
Cause to grow and differentiate in ways conforming to its natural development;
The perfect climate here develops the grain
He developed a new kind of apple
Develop
Generate gradually;
We must develop more potential customers
Develop a market for the new mobile phone
Develop
Grow emotionally or mature;
The child developed beautifully in her new kindergarten
When he spent a summer at camp, the boy grew noticeably and no longer showed some of his old adolescent behavior
Develop
Make visible by means of chemical solutions;
Please develop this roll of film for me
Develop
Superimpose a three-dimensional surface on a plane without stretching, in geometry
Develop
Move one's pieces into strategically more advantageous positions;
Spassky developed quickly
Develop
Move into a strategically more advantageous position;
Develop the rook
Develop
Elaborate by the unfolding of a musical idea and by the working out of the rhythmic and harmonic changes in the theme;
Develop the melody and change the key
Develop
Happen;
Report the news as it develops
These political movements recrudesce from time to time
Develop
Expand in the form of a series;
Develop the function in the following form
Common Curiosities
Is fostering always less direct than developing?
Yes, fostering generally involves less direct manipulation and more providing support and conditions that encourage natural growth or behaviors.
Can development and fostering be part of the same strategy?
Absolutely, many effective strategies involve both developing specific skills or processes and fostering an environment that supports these developments.
How can one foster creativity in a workplace?
Fostering creativity can be achieved by providing a supportive environment, encouraging risk-taking and innovation, and offering resources that stimulate creative thinking.
What is the difference between developing and fostering in the context of child care?
In child care, developing might refer to structured learning and growth activities, whereas fostering would refer to creating a loving, supportive environment that promotes the child’s overall well-being and natural growth.
What are common mistakes in trying to develop or foster?
Common mistakes in development include over-planning without flexibility, and in fostering, failing to provide enough structure or resources needed for growth.
What does it mean to develop a skill?
Developing a skill involves engaging in specific activities and educational processes that enhance one’s ability in a structured and measurable way.
Can fostering lead to development?
Yes, fostering often creates the conditions necessary for development by nurturing potential and providing the necessary support.
Which approach is better for organizational growth, developing or fostering?
Both approaches are crucial; developing provides the structure and goals needed for progress, while fostering ensures a supportive culture that sustains long-term growth.
How can educators balance development and fostering in their teaching methods?
Educators can balance these by using structured learning techniques to develop skills while also creating an encouraging and supportive classroom environment to foster students’ love for learning.
How does one measure success in development versus fostering?
Success in development is often measured by the achievement of specific goals or benchmarks, while success in fostering is more about the qualitative assessment of growth and the health of the environment or relationships.
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Development vs. EstablishAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
