developmental stages
Progression through maturity
Developmental stages are the distinct phases an organism passes through as it grows and matures.
In humans, these typically include infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood—each characterized by physical, cognitive, and emotional changes.
The concept applies broadly: the developmental stages of a butterfly, Piaget's developmental stages of childhood cognition.
Stage theories assume progression through phases in sequence, though timing varies among individuals.
- adolescenceTeenage developmental stage
- coming of ageReaching adult status
- infancyEarliest period of life
- baby stepsCautious incremental progress
- first wordsInfant's earliest speech
empty nest · life cycle · puberty · metamorphosis · embryogenesis · aging · attachment · middle age · chrysalis · learning · imago · toddlerhood · terrible twos · neoteny · language acquisition · formative years · emotional regulation · germination
- developmentgrowth, progress, advancement, expansion, improvement
- growthgrowth, grow, growing, growth rate, increase
- parentinggentle parenting, child, mom, children, kids
- playplay, free play, games, played, toys
- psychologypsychology, psychologist, therapist, psychiatrist, clinical psychology
- child psychology for parentstantrums, discipline, bonding, milestones, attachment
developmental stagesregression
Return to former state
deterioration · devolution · atrophy · senescence · involution
developmental stagesstasis
State of inactivity
stagnation · arrested development · permanence · fixity · immutability