Definition of Growth and Development by Different Authors

Back to: Childhood and Growing Up – Unit 1

There are various definitions to define each term of growth and development. These are as follows.

Definitions of Growth

L.K. Frank

“The changes that occur in any physical aspect are known as growth.”

H.V. Meredith

“Growth has five evidences. The first evidence is the number. The second evidence is the meeting of two cells to give birth to a human being. The third evidence is the changes in the human bones, fourth evidence is the occurrence of changes is in the position. Fifth evidence is the changes in relative size.”

Definitions of Development

Libert, Poulos, and Manner(1979)

Development refers to a process of change in growth and capability over time, function of both maturation and interaction with the environment.”

E.B. Hurlock(1959)

“Development means a progressive series of changes that occur in orderly predictable pattern as a result of maturation and experience.”

Webster’s Dictionary

“Development is the series of changes which an organism undergoes in passing from an embryonic state to maturity.”