transformation

American  

[trans-fer-mey-shuhn] / ˌtræns fərˈmeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of transforming.

2. the state of being transformed.

3. change in form, appearance, nature, or character.

4. Theater. a seemingly miraculous change in the appearance of scenery or actors in view of the audience.

5. Also called transform.  Logic. one of a set of algebraic formulas used to express the relations between elements, sets, etc., that form parts of a given system.

6. Mathematics.

   1. the act, process, or result of transforming or mapping.

   2. function.

7. Linguistics.

   1. transformational rule.

   2. the process by which deep structures are converted into surface structures using transformational rules.

8. Genetics. the transfer of genetic material from one cell to another resulting in a genetic change in the recipient cell.

9. a wig or hairpiece for a woman.

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transformation British  

/ ˌtrænsfəˈmeɪʃən /

noun

1. a change or alteration, esp a radical one

2. the act of transforming or the state of being transformed

3. maths

   1. a change in position or direction of the reference axes in a coordinate system without an alteration in their relative angle

   2. an equivalent change in an expression or equation resulting from the substitution of one set of variables by another

4. physics a change in an atomic nucleus to a different nuclide as the result of the emission of either an alpha-particle or a beta-particle Compare transition

5. linguistics another word for transformational rule

6. an apparently miraculous change in the appearance of a stage set

7. (in South Africa) a national strategy aimed at attaining national unity, promoting reconciliation through negotiated settlement and non-racism

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transformation Scientific  

/ trăns′fər-mā′shən /

1. The genetic alteration of a bacteria cell by the introduction of DNA from another cell or from a virus. Plasmids, which contain extrachromosomal DNA, are used to transform bacteria in recombinant DNA research.

2. The change undergone by an animal cell upon infection by a cancer-causing virus.

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Other Word Forms

• nontransformation noun
• retransformation noun
• self-transformation noun
• transformational adjective

Etymology

Origin of transformation

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Late Latin trānsfōrmātiōn-, stem of trānsfōrmātiō “change of shape”; equivalent to trans- + formation

Example Sentences

But his migration to the Great White North 2½ years ago may prove to be the first step in a major transformation for Mexican figure skating.

From Los Angeles Times

But beneath that consumer-facing layer, a quieter transformation is under way, one that may matter more for earnings than engagement.

From Barron's

Offline retail plays a quieter but important role in this transformation.

From Barron's

"We are in the early stages of our transformation," a spokesperson said.

From BBC

But that also marks a clear transformation in culinary programming from emphasizing the development of proficiency to encouraging consumption.

From Salon

Related Words

• conversion
• metamorphosis
• renewal
• revolution
• shift