adverse development

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "adverse development" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to a development that is unfavorable or detrimental, or that will lead to an undesirable outcome. For example: "The adverse developments in the housing market have caused home sales to decrease significantly."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

19 human-written examples

Under the program, hospitals are required to report any unintended adverse development in a patient's condition, regardless of whether it could have been prevented.

The New York Times

The major problems that arise in arc welding of AA2219 are the adverse development of residual stresses and the re-distribution as well as dissolution of copper rich phase in the weld joint.

Defence Technology

The political friction might make it harder for the center-left government, which does not have an absolute majority in Parliament, to push through spending cuts and privatizations announced on July 1. "This adverse development increases implementation risk to the government's plans, many of which will require not just cross-party support but also acceptance by the trade unions," Moody's said.

The New York Times

With such a high valuation, it will not take a very large adverse development to send it crashing - namely faltering earnings, a recession, higher interest rates, etc.

Forbes

In less than two months, FFH rebounded over 50% to hit a year high of $97 on May 2, in part from strong first-quarter financials and an agreement led by Bernardsville, N.J.-based Chubb Re, a division of Chubb, to provide up to $200 million in adverse development cover for TIG.

Forbes

Have we entered, in the phrase of Prof. David Kyvig, an "age of impeachment" in which political Queens of Hearts respond to every adverse development by crying, "Off with his head"?

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

41 human-written examples

Last year, those "adverse developments" were the European debt crisis.

The Guardian - Opinion

Innogy blamed "adverse developments in the UK retail market and regulatory interventions such as the price cap".

The Times

The backlash from the savings crisis is only the latest in a series of adverse developments for the housing industry.

The New York Times

The industry is largely insulated from adverse developments on the tax front.

The Economist

Many other assets, such as municipal bonds, are priced off Treasuries, and we saw in September 2008 how adverse developments in one market can spill over into others.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing a series of negative events, use "adverse developments" to emphasize the progressive and compounding nature of the unfavorable changes.

Common error

Avoid using "adverse development" in situations that are merely inconvenient or mildly disappointing. Reserve it for scenarios with genuinely significant negative implications.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "adverse development" functions as a noun phrase, where "adverse" modifies the noun "development". Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and common usage.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

34%

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

17%

Less common in

Academia

8%

Wiki

8%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "adverse development" is a commonly used phrase to describe unfavorable or detrimental progress. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically sound and widely applicable. It's most frequently encountered in scientific, news, and business contexts. When using this phrase, ensure it accurately reflects a significantly negative situation and consider more specific alternatives like "negative progression" or "unfavorable trend" for enhanced clarity. While versatile, reserve "adverse development" for scenarios that warrant its serious and formal tone.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

negative progression

Uses "progression" instead of "development" emphasizing the sequential nature of the change and "negative" instead of "adverse".

detrimental advancement

Substitutes "development" with "advancement" to imply forward movement but with a harmful effect indicated by "detrimental".

unfavorable trend

Replaces "development" with a more specific term, "trend", suggesting a direction of change rather than a general occurrence.

harmful evolution

Replaces "development" with "evolution", suggesting a gradual process with negative consequences denoted by "harmful".

poor outcome

Focuses on the result of the development, highlighting its unsatisfactory nature.

unwanted consequence

Shifts the focus to the result or effect of an action, emphasizing its undesirable nature.

negative turn of events

Emphasizes a shift in circumstances towards a less favorable direction.

setback

Uses a shorter, more direct term to indicate a hindrance or reversal in progress.

challenging situation

Indicates a difficult or problematic state that requires effort to overcome.

unfortunate incident

Highlights a specific occurrence that is regrettable or undesirable.

FAQs

How can I use "adverse development" in a sentence?

You can use "adverse development" to describe a negative or unfavorable event. For example, "The company faced "adverse development" due to the economic downturn".

What are some synonyms for "adverse development"?

Alternatives to "adverse development" include "unfavorable trend", "negative progression", or "detrimental advancement", depending on the specific context.

Is "adverse development" a formal or informal phrase?

"Adverse development" is generally considered a formal phrase suitable for professional, academic, or news-related contexts. More informal situations might call for simpler language.

What's the difference between "adverse developments" and "negative consequences"?

"Adverse developments" refers to a series of unfolding events that are unfavorable, while "negative consequences" refers to the results or outcomes of a particular action or situation. Therefore, "adverse developments" lead to negative consequences.