transform

American  

[trans-fawrm, trans-fawrm] / trænsˈfɔrm, ˈtræns fɔrm /

verb (used with object)

• transforms,
  present (3rd person singular)
• transformed,
  past participle,  past
• transforming
  present participle

1. to change in form, appearance, or structure; metamorphose.

   Synonyms:

   transfigure

2. to change in condition, nature, or character; convert.

3. to change into another substance; transmute.

4. Electricity.

   1. to increase or decrease (the voltage and current characteristics of an alternating-current circuit), as by means of a transformer.

   2. to decrease (the voltage and current characteristics of a direct-current circuit), as by means of a transformer.

5. Mathematics. to change the form of (a figure, expression, etc.) without in general changing the value.

6. Physics. to change into another form of energy.

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verb (used without object)

• transforms,
  present (3rd person singular)
• transformed,
  past participle,  past
• transforming
  present participle

1. to undergo a change in form, appearance, or character; become transformed.

noun

1. Mathematics.

   1. a mathematical quantity obtained from a given quantity by an algebraic, geometric, or functional transformation.

   2. the transformation itself.

2. the result of a transformation.

3. a transformation.

4. Logic. transformation.

5. Linguistics. a structure derived by a transformation.

transform British  

verb

1. to alter or be altered radically in form, function, etc

2. (tr) to convert (one form of energy) to another form

3. (tr) maths to change the form of (an equation, expression, etc) by a mathematical transformation

4. (tr) to increase or decrease (an alternating current or voltage) using a transformer

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noun

1. maths the result of a mathematical transformation, esp (of a matrix or an element of a group) another related to the given one by B = X ^–1 AX for some appropriate X

Synonym Usage

Transform , convert mean to change one thing into another. Transform suggests changing from one form, appearance, structure, or type to another: to transform soybeans into oil and meal by pressure. Convert suggests so changing the characteristics as to change the use or purpose: to convert a barn into a house.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• retransform
  verb (used with object)
• intertransformable
  adjective
• nontransforming
  adjective
• self-transformed
  adjective
• transformable
  adjective
• transformative
  adjective
• untransformable
  adjective
• untransformed
  adjective
• untransforming
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• transforming
  present
• transformed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• transform
  simple
• transforms
  simple
• have transformed
  perfect
• has transformed
  perfect
• am transforming
  progressive
• are transforming
  progressive
• is transforming
  progressive
• have been transforming
  perfect progressive
• has been transforming
  perfect progressive

Past

• transformed
  simple
• had transformed
  perfect
• was transforming
  progressive
• were transforming
  progressive
• had been transforming
  perfect progressive

Future

• will transform
  simple
• will have transformed
  perfect
• will be transforming
  progressive
• will have been transforming
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of transform

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English transformen, from Latin trānsfōrmāre “to change in shape”; see trans-, form

Explanation

When you transform you change from one thing or state to another. Picture a transformer that changes from a robot to a car. Simple, right? Caterpillars transform into butterflies, a forest is transformed by a snowfall, and a city can be transformed by a new government or a changing economy. Transform means a big change in appearance or in essence. The Internet has transformed how we live our day-to-day lives, but you wouldn't say that moving a throw pillow has transformed your living room.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

transform transforms transformed transforming

AI will transform the global economy whether we are ready or not.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Moderna and Merck’s personalized cancer vaccine could transform cancer treatment and create a multibillion-dollar market, but investors may already be pricing in much of its potential.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

When atomic nuclei collide at enormous speeds, their constituents can transform into an extremely small droplet of quark-gluon plasma.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026

Even a small amount of the precious metal can transform the futures of these men and women - from Kenya and neighbouring Uganda - many of whose precarious lives rest on an unreliable farming income.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

There is no doubt that Bacon and his followers aspired to transform the world through their new science.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Each fall, ArtPrize — one of the world’s largest international art competitions — transforms the entire downtown into an open-air gallery.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

They have come against a backdrop of concerns over job security as artificial intelligence transforms South Korea's automotive industry, a pillar of the Asian nation's economy.

From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026

In this view, traveling waves may help explain how the brain transforms a constant flood of complicated sensory signals into coherent perceptions, predictions, behaviors, and experiences.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 18, 2026

It transforms into a glass eel as it travels from coastal estuaries to places like Lough Neagh and Lough Erne.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

The room transforms around them, becoming darker and more desperate.

From "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" by J.K. Rowling

"He transformed into a politician quite quickly; it was a surprise," said Tellier.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

The former red-light district downtown has been transformed into a dedicated cultural district containing galleries, theaters, museums and a world-class symphony.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

Cell therapies that harness the immune system have transformed treatment for some cancers of the blood and lymphatic system.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026

TikTok said the CleanTok community had transformed the mundane task of cleaning into "one of the most-loved and entertaining genres" on its platform.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

I say ‘more remarkable’, for it is discovery itself which has transformed our world, in a way that simply locating a new land mass could never do.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Until this year, Anthropic was in clear second place to OpenAI, which burst onto the scene with ChatGPT in November 2022, transforming the tech industry and triggering an AI arms race.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

One important ingredient was TGF-b, transforming growth factor beta.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026

Take a tour of the projects transforming the skyline.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

The couple have listed their midcentury modern split-level ranch in for $1.499 million after transforming the property into a sustainability-minded retreat that blends original architectural details with eco-conscious upgrades and a productive backyard garden.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

The robot’s legs, arms, and head folded inward and locked into new positions, transforming the robot into a starship known as the Marveller.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Related Words

• alter
• convert
• mold
• mutate
• reconstruct
• remodel
• revamp
• revolutionize
• transfer
• translate