formation

[ fawr-mey-shuhn ]
/ fɔrˈmeɪ ʃən /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR formation ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act or process of forming or the state of being formed: the formation of ice.
the manner in which a thing is formed; disposition of parts; formal structure or arrangement.
Military.
  1. a particular disposition of troops, as in columns, squares, etc.
  2. any required assembling of the soldiers of a unit.
Geology.
  1. a body of rocks classed as a stratigraphic unit for geologic mapping.Compare member(def 8).
  2. the process of depositing rock or mineral of a particular composition or origin.

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Origin of formation

1375–1425; late Middle English formacioun < Latin fōrmātiōn- (stem of fōrmātiō), equivalent to fōrmāt(us) (see form, -ate1) + -iōn- -ion

OTHER WORDS FROM formation

Words nearby formation

forman, formant, format, formate, formatio, formation, formation dance, formation rules, formative, formative assessment, formative element
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to formation

development, evolution, creation, arrangement, production, construction, design, pattern, structure, figure, generation, rank, embodiment, constitution, induction, genesis, deposit, manufacture, compilation, makeup

Example sentences from the Web for formation

British Dictionary definitions for formation

formation
/ (fɔːˈmeɪʃən) /

noun

the act of giving or taking form, shape, or existence
something that is formed
the manner in which something is formed or arranged
  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
geology
  1. the fundamental lithostratigraphic unit
  2. a series of rocks with certain characteristics in common
ecology a community of plants, such as a tropical rainforest, extending over a very large area

Derived forms of formation

formational, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for formation

formation
[ fôr-mā′shən ]

n.

The act or process of forming something or of taking form.
Something formed.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for formation

formation
[ fôr-mā′shən ]

A long, mappable body of rock that is recognizable by its physical characteristics and by its location within the rock record.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.