formation

[fawr-mey-shuhn]

noun

1. the act or process of forming or the state of being formed.

   the formation of ice.

   Synonyms: organization, establishment

2. the manner in which a thing is formed; disposition of parts; formal structure or arrangement.

3. Military.

   1. a particular disposition of troops, as in columns, squares, etc.

   2. any required assembling of the soldiers of a unit.

4. Geology.

   1. a body of rocks classed as a stratigraphic unit for geologic mapping.

   2. the process of depositing rock or mineral of a particular composition or origin.

formation

/ fɔːˈmeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of giving or taking form, shape, or existence

2. something that is formed

3. the manner in which something is formed or arranged

4. 1. a formal arrangement of a number of persons or things acting as a unit, such as a troop of soldiers, aircraft in flight, or a football team

   2. ( as modifier )

      formation dancing

5. geology

   1. the fundamental lithostratigraphic unit

   2. a series of rocks with certain characteristics in common

6. ecology a community of plants, such as a tropical rainforest, extending over a very large area

formation

1. A long, mappable body of rock that is recognizable by its physical characteristics and by its location within the rock record.

Other Word Forms

• formational adjective
• misformation noun
• nonformation noun
• self-formation noun
• subformation noun
• superformation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of formation¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English formacioun, from Latin fōrmātiōn-, stem of fōrmātiō, from fōrmāt(us) “shaped” (past participle of fōrmāre “to shape, fashion”; form ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

An Alaskan climbing influencer has died after falling from El Capitan, a famous vertical rock formation in California's Yosemite National Park.

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It is among the most photographed rock formations in the world.

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“Frankly, it’s tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops,” he said to the 800 likely stunned souls in the room.

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“It’s tiring to look out at combat formations and see fat troops,” Hegseth said.

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Clad in red, white and blue, his predominantly Black dance crew assembled in an American flag formation.

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Related Words

• arrangement 
• construction 
• creation 
• design 
• development 
• evolution 
• forming www.thesaurus.com
• pattern 
• production 
• structure