formation

[fawr-mey-shuhn]

noun

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.

formation

/ 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

formation

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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of formation¹

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”; form ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

This exchange is essential for learning, memory formation and the processing of information.

Read more on Science Daily

U.S. labor productivity growth has been on the rise in recent years, gaining an average of 2.2% a quarter since 2023 due to public and private investments, new business formation, and surging immigration.

Read more on Barron's

The Triangle Shirtwaist fire in New York killed 146 workers on March 25, 1911, leading to workplace safety laws and the Labor Department’s formation.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

According to the model, memory formation begins in the hippocampus.

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I don't think at the moment he knows his best team and he's not sure on his best formation and that's a problem.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• arrangement 
• construction 
• creation 
• design 
• development 
• evolution 
• forming www.thesaurus.com
• pattern 
• production 
• structure