formation

American  

[fawr-mey-shuhn] / fɔrˈmeɪ ʃən /

noun

• formations
  plural

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.

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formation British  

/ 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

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formation Scientific  

/ fôr-mā′shən /

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• formations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of formation

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”; cf. form) + -iō -ion

Explanation

A formation is an arrangement of people or things. Planes flying in formation make a deliberate, specific pattern in the sky. Some formations are on purpose, or deliberate — like military troops marching in formation or a cheerleading squad arranging itself in formation. Others just arrange themselves in a particular way by chance, like a striking cloud formation overhead. You can also talk about the formation — or establishment — of something less physical, like the formation of a new government. The Latin root, formationem, means "a shaping."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

formation formations

He took the snap out of shotgun formation and just ran left until he reached the end zone.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026

Last week, the play that kept Rutgers in the game near the end of the first half also came from a punt formation, but with the roles reversed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

It is the latest in a series of storms in the Pacific, made more intense by the "super El Niño", which has warmed the ocean, fuelling the formation of storms.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

Even the ugliest victory formation would have done the job.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

There was no way the squadron was going to be able to fly home in air-show formation as they usually did.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

The deluge of ice and mud caused huge lakes, and one of these formations has become a risk of further floods.

From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026

By injecting a solution into banded iron formations, the researchers were able to increase hydrogen generation, raising the possibility that naturally produced hydrogen could one day be deliberately enhanced underground.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 29, 2026

Rangers played five different formations tonight and they offered nothing.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

The offside rule and promotion and relegation are the butts of repeated jokes and there are discussions of tactics, positions, formations and other game-related details that would have previously frustrated viewers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026

They projected a sea of stars on the domed ceiling, and we all oohed and aahed as, one by one, the constellations were highlighted and morphed into Greekish-statue versions, making the formations easier to see.

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

Related Words

• arrangement
• construction
• creation
• design
• development
• evolution
• forming
• pattern
• production
• structure