成長|せいちょうseichou[0]heiban (flat)

1. noun, suru verb, intransitive verbgrowth; development; growing up; becoming an adult
   ジェーンは成長せいちょうして素敵すてきな女性じょせいになった。↗

   Jane grew up to be a fine lady.
2. noun, suru verb, intransitive verbgrowth (of a company, the economy, etc.)

• Synonym発育はついくNeutralMostly physical growth of the body or organs, as in 「発育が遅い」; restricted to living organisms — not used for growth of character or the economy.
• Synonym発達はったつNeutralCovers functions of mind and body, or technology and transport, becoming more advanced, as in 「交通の発達」; also typhoons intensifying. 「成長」 stresses getting bigger.
• Synonym生育せいいくWrittenWritten word for being born and raised, or for plant growth, as in 「稲の生育」; not used for mental or corporate growth.
• Synonym生長せいちょうWrittenWritten form, mostly for plant growth but also for being born and growing up; for people, animals and the economy, 「成長」 is the usual spelling.
• Synonym育つそだつNeutralNative verb for people, animals or plants growing up, also for talent being nurtured; 「成長」 is a Sino-Japanese noun that can take 「する」.
• Synonym伸長しんちょうWrittenWritten word for length, influence or results extending, as in 「売上の伸長」; for plants it means stems or cells lengthening, while 「成長」 is the whole organism growing.
• Synonym成育せいいくWrittenGrowth of people or animals, as in 「稚魚の成育」; common in biology and animal-rearing contexts, but not used for character growth.
• Synonym育ちそだちNeutralCovers one's upbringing and background, as in 「育ちがいい」 or 「東京育ち」; the focus is the environment one grew up in.
• Synonym発展はってんNeutralExpansion of power or scale, or moving to a higher stage, as in 「経済の発展」; mostly for societies and cities, not individual organisms.
• Related伸びるのびるNeutralUsed for height or hair getting longer, or for grades and sales rising; focuses on length or figures stretching, and is common in speech.
• Related進歩しんぽNeutralProgress in technology or ability toward something better, as in 「技術の進歩」; not used for living things growing up.
• Related成熟せいじゅくNeutralRipening of fruit or full physical and mental development; stresses a completed state, while 「成長」 is the process of getting bigger.
• Related実るみのるNeutralTo bear fruit, or for efforts paying off, as in 「努力が実る」; the emphasis is on results, not the process of growing.
• Related進化しんかNeutralEvolution of organisms over generations, or figuratively a thing steadily improving, as in 「スマホの進化」; 「成長」 is an individual, company or economy growing.
• Related生い立つおいたつWrittenLiterary verb for growing to adulthood, little used today; say 「育つ」 or 「成長する」 in everyday speech.
• Related長じるちょうじるWrittenWritten word for growing up; with 「～に長じる」 it also means being skilled at something, a sense 「成長」 lacks.
• Related長ずるちょうずるWrittenThe literary form of 「長じる」 with the same uses, seen in written phrases like 「長ずるに及んで」.
• Antonym衰退すいたいWrittenAntonym: the waning of power or vitality, as in 「産業の衰退」, the opposite of the expansion 「成長」 describes.
• Antonym退化たいかNeutralAntonym: degeneration of organs or a decline in ability, the reverse of the forward development of 「成長」 and 「進化」.
• Antonym縮小しゅくしょうNeutralAntonym: shrinking in scale or numbers, as in 「市場の縮小」, opposed to 「成長」 in the sense of economic or overall expansion.

Use 「成長」 for people, living things, companies or economies growing bigger and stronger. For physical development say 「発育」, for functions or technology advancing 「発達」, for social or economic expansion 「発展」, and for technical improvement 「進歩」. 「生長」 is a written variant mainly for plants; 「育つ」 is the everyday verb. Words like 「伸びる」, 「成熟」 and 「実る」 focus on length, completion or results rather than growth itself, while 「衰退」, 「退化」 and 「縮小」 are its antonyms.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 生物せいぶつが育そだって大おおきくなること。
2. 精神せいしんや人格じんかくが育そだって一人前いちにんまえの状態じょうたいに近ちかづいていくこと。
3. 物事ものごとが発達はったつして、勢いきおいが強つよまること。数量すうりょうや規模きぼが上あがっていくこと。