formative

[fawr-muh-tiv]

adjective

1. giving form or shape; forming; shaping; fashioning; molding.

   a formative process in manufacturing.

2. relating to formation or development.

   a child's most formative years.

   Synonyms: impressionable, receptive, susceptible

3. Biology.

   1. capable of developing new cells or tissue by cell division and differentiation.

      formative tissue.

   2. concerned with the formation of an embryo, organ, or the like.

4. Education.,  continuous and diagnostic, and covering specifically the current material with which the student is actively engaged; ongoing: formative evaluation;

   formative assessment;

   formative evaluation;

   formative feedback.

5. Grammar.,  relating to a formative, an affix that indicates the part of speech of a derived word.

noun

1. Grammar.,  a derivational affix, particularly one that determines the part of speech of the derived word, as -ness, in loudness, hardness, etc.

2. Linguistics.,  (in generative grammar) any element, as a word, affix, or inflectional ending, functioning as a minimal syntactic unit that can be used in forming larger constructions.

formative

/ ˈfɔːmətɪv /

adjective

1. of or relating to formation, development, or growth

   formative years

2. shaping; moulding

   a formative experience

3. (of tissues and cells in certain parts of an organism) capable of growth and differentiation

4. functioning in the formation of derived, inflected, or compound words

noun

1. an inflectional or derivational affix

2. (in generative grammar) any of the minimum units of a sentence that have syntactic function

Other Word Forms

• formatively adverb
• formativeness noun
• nonformative adjective
• nonformatively adverb
• subformative adjective
• subformatively adverb
• subformativeness noun
• unformative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of formative¹

First recorded in 1480–90; from Old French formatif (masculine), formative (feminine); formation, -ive

Example Sentences

California’s early Scratchers represent a unique chapter in gambling history, showcasing the era’s design, themes and prizes throughout those formative years.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The pair went on to help Union win their first league title in 90 years last season after Sykes, like Burgess, overcame adversity in his formative years.

Read more on BBC

A biography on the school district's website says that "he was born to immigrant parents from Guyana, and spent most of his formative years in Brooklyn, NY".

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Later, Jaglom’s family moved to New York, where Jaglom spent his formative years and returned after attending the University of Pennsylvania.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“As I said during our town hall, some of the most formative moments of my life happened in rooms where I was a fly on the wall, listening and learning,” Ellison wrote in his email.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• developmental www.thesaurus.com