Phrase guide

zone of proximal development

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The space between what a learner is capable of doing unsupported and what the learner cannot do even with support.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, psychology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Calque of Russian зо́на ближа́йшего разви́тия (zóna bližájševo razvítija), coined by Soviet psychologist and social constructivist Lev Vygotsky.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: lähikehityksen vyöhyke — Vygotsky's concept
  • French: zone proximale de développement — Vygotsky's concept
  • Greek: ζώνη επικείμενης ανάπτυξης (zóni epikeímenis anáptyxis) — Vygotsky's concept
  • Icelandic: svæði hins mögulega þroska — Vygotsky's concept
  • Polish: strefa najbliższego rozwoju — Vygotsky's concept
  • Russian: зо́на ближа́йшего разви́тия (zóna bližájševo razvítija) — Vygotsky's concept
  • Spanish: zona de desarrollo próximo — Vygotsky's concept
  • Spanish: zona de desarrollo proximal — Vygotsky's concept
  • Turkish: proksimal gelişim alanı — Vygotsky's concept
  • Turkish: yakınsak gelişim alanı — Vygotsky's concept