deformation

American

[dee-fawr-mey-shuhn, def-er-] / ˌdi fɔrˈmeɪ ʃən, ˌdɛf ər- /

noun

the act of deforming; deform; distortion; disfigurement.
the result of deforming; deform; change of form, especially for the worse.
an altered form.
Geology, Mechanics. a change in the shape or dimensions of a body, resulting from stress; strain.

Other Word Forms

deformational adjective
nondeformation noun

Etymology

Origin of deformation

1400–50; late Middle English deformacioun < Latin dēfōrmātiōn- (stem of dēfōrmātiō ), equivalent to dēfōrmāt ( us ) (past participle of dēfōrmāre; deform ¹ ) + -iōn- -ion

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.

Alongside small deformation changes and gas anomalies, scientists recorded a weak Jerk signal measuring only 0.1 nm/s3.

From Science Daily • Mar. 15, 2026

"These notches in the wheels and the deformation observed in the track are compatible with the fact that the track was cracked," it wrote in what it called a "working hypothesis".

From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026

These included vibrations from small earthquakes, glacier motion, slope deformation, and other sources of seismic background noise.

From Science Daily • Dec. 21, 2025

And governing body the FIA has introduced tougher tests for China after analysing footage from cameras aimed at studying rear wing deformation in Melbourne.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2025

The deformation to the west of the Three Sisters doesn’t pose a problem right now, and it might not for a very long time to come.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023