formation

American  

[fawr-may-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

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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

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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

They incorporated the measured delays in crystal formation into computer models that simulate how magma rises through Earth's crust.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 13, 2026

For the highly anticipated decision, the court sat in plenary formation, meaning that 11 judges took part instead of the usual five -- a format reserved for important cases.

From Barron's ● Nov. 13, 2026

The new research suggests that the effects of superheating and the timing of crystal formation deserve greater attention in volcanic forecasting models.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 13, 2026

In addition, first class seating will be in 2-by-2 formation, eliminating the middle seat, and eventually, each passenger will have a USB-C power port.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2026

On the other side of the formation, pilot Klava Fomicheva also saw what was going on.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Sudden “sneaker waves” can sweep far up the shoreline without warning, and narrow rock formations, caves, and alcoves can easily fill with water, the agency said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2026

"But just densely packing these nanoparticles together limits your applications. This offers a way to get less dense formations of nanoparticles, and that's where a lot of the interesting applications are."

From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026

It’s not yet a destination for data-center developers, but most of the state sits on the Marcellus shale, one of the most prolific natural-gas-producing formations in the United States.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

The Cappadocia region attracts tourists from around the world, who want to see the ancient fairy chimneys - tall, cone-shaped rock formations that are created by volcanic activity.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

She’d started keeping a weather journal, where she wrote down the daily high and low temperatures, the cloud formations, the wind speeds, the amount of sunshine and rain.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

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Related Words

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

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