1. (n.) The act of developing or disclosing that which is unknown; a gradual unfolding process by which anything is developed, as a plan or method, or an image upon a photographic plate; gradual advancement or growth through a series of progressive changes; also, the result of developing, or a developed state.

2. (n.) The series of changes which animal and vegetable organisms undergo in their passage from the embryonic state to maturity, from a lower to a higher state of organization.

3. (n.) The act or process of changing or expanding an expression into another of equivalent value or meaning.

4. (n.) The equivalent expression into which another has been developed.

5. (n.) The elaboration of a theme or subject; the unfolding of a musical idea; the evolution of a whole piece or movement from a leading theme or motive.

abiogenesis access accession accomplishment accretion accrual accruement accumulation action addition advance advancement aggrandizement aging amplification anacrusis anagnorisis angle appreciation apprenticeship archigenesis architectonics architecture argument ascent atmosphere augmentation background ballooning basic training bass passage beautification biogenesis birth blastogenesis bloating blossoming boom boost bourdon breaking breeding bridge broadening budding buildup burden burgeoning by-product cadence catastrophe characterization chorus circumstance coda color complication condition conditioning consequence consequent continuity contrivance corollary crescendo cultivation denouement derivation derivative design developmental change device digenesis dilation discipline distillate division drill drilling edema effect elaboration elevation embellishment enlargement epigenesis episode eumerogenesis event eventuality eventuation evolution evolutionary change evolvement evolving excrescence exercise expansion expatiation explication exposition extension fable falling action fetching-up figure flood flowering folderol fostering fruit furtherance gain gemmation generation genesis germination gimmick gradual change greatening grooming growth gush happening harmonic close harvest heterogenesis hike histogenesis homogenesis housebreaking improvement in-service training incident increase increment inflation interlude intermezzo introductory phrase isogenesis issue jump leap legacy line local color logical outcome manual training maturation maturescence maturing maturity measure mellowing merogenesis metagenesis military training monogenesis mood motif mounting movement multiplication musical phrase musical sentence mythos natural development natural growth nonviolent change nurture nurturing occurrence offshoot offspring on-the-job training ongoing ornament orthogenesis outcome outgrowth overgrowth pangenesis part parthenogenesis passage perfection period peripeteia phenomenon phrase plan plot practice precipitate preparation procreation product productiveness progress progression proliferation pullulation raise raising readying rearing recognition refinement refrain rehearsal reproduction resolution response result resultant ripening rise rising action ritornello scheme seasoning secondary plot section senescence sequel sequela sequence sequent situation slant sloyd snowballing spontaneous generation spread sprouting stanza statement story strain structure subject subplot surge swelling switch tailpiece tempering thematic development theme tone topic training tumescence