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formation
[ fawr-mey-shuhn ]
/ fɔrˈmeɪ ʃən /
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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.
- a particular disposition of troops, as in columns, squares, etc.
- any required assembling of the soldiers of a unit.
Geology.
- a body of rocks classed as a stratigraphic unit for geologic mapping.Compare member (def. 8).
- the process of depositing rock or mineral of a particular composition or origin.
OTHER WORDS FOR formation
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Origin of formation
OTHER WORDS FROM formation
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use formation in a sentence
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
- 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
- (as modifier)formation dancing
geology
- the fundamental lithostratigraphic unit
- 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, adjectiveCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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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.