transformative
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of transformative
First recorded in 1660–70; from Medieval Latin transformātīvus, equivalent to Latin transformāt-, stem of transformāre, + -īvus -ive ( def. ); see transform ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Transformative technologies never arrive fully formed; they rely upon determined practitioners committed to the painstaking work of distilling extravagant promise into daily practice.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
Transformative too: Bouanga and Son have combined for all 12 goals in their team’s last three games — all wins — becoming the first teammates to score hat tricks in three straight games.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 23, 2025
Transformative mediation has been gaining traction in recent years, thanks to its more holistic, nuanced approach to conflict — and its understanding of the emotion that's so often baked into it.
From Salon • May 30, 2025
The Transformative Justice Collective, a group which campaigns against the death penalty, describes the DRC as a form of mandatory detention where prisoners face "humiliation" and "loss of liberties".
From BBC • Oct. 26, 2024
Dealing with irrational people takes focus, intelligence, and extreme discipline—you have to maintain a sense of true emotional stasis—as outlined in one of my favorite books, Transformative Power, by Pearce Tidwell.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
![]()
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.