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

Pilots will constantly eye one another in the formation, and warn each other if they start drifting too close to each other.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

A new generation of neuroscientists saw FTD as the perfect sample set to understand what happens when things go awry in the formation of human consciousness.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

That added sensitivity could help astronomers discover more planets during their earliest stages of formation and close one of the biggest observational gaps in exoplanet science.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026

While the Moon has numerous craters, many of which are far bigger than McGetchin, researching a crater's formation in real time can help build understanding of the Moon's geology.

From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026

“Doesn’t that rock formation look like a giant taking a nap?”

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

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

The findings are especially significant for Western Australia because the region contains some of the largest banded iron formations on Earth.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 29, 2026

Beginning with the shape of United's squad provides much-needed context, but it is important to note that much of their play is based on tactical principles, not just formations.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

“Just different formations ... variations of the same route ... I mean, shoot, that just shows how good a coach Coach Mike is — got us in different positions to be successful.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026

They passed craggy rock formations and rushing waterfalls and meadows lush with flowers.

From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown

Related Words

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