transformation

American  

[trans-fer-mey-shuhn] / ˌtræns fərˈmeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of transforming.

2. the state of being transformed.

3. change in form, appearance, nature, or character.

4. Theater. a seemingly miraculous change in the appearance of scenery or actors in view of the audience.

5. Also called transform.  Logic. one of a set of algebraic formulas used to express the relations between elements, sets, etc., that form parts of a given system.

6. Mathematics.

   1. the act, process, or result of transforming or mapping.

   2. function.

7. Linguistics.

   1. transformational rule.

   2. the process by which deep structures are converted into surface structures using transformational rules.

8. Genetics. the transfer of genetic material from one cell to another resulting in a genetic change in the recipient cell.

9. a wig or hairpiece for a woman.

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transformation British  

/ ˌtrænsfəˈmeɪʃən /

noun

1. a change or alteration, esp a radical one

2. the act of transforming or the state of being transformed

3. maths

   1. a change in position or direction of the reference axes in a coordinate system without an alteration in their relative angle

   2. an equivalent change in an expression or equation resulting from the substitution of one set of variables by another

4. physics a change in an atomic nucleus to a different nuclide as the result of the emission of either an alpha-particle or a beta-particle Compare transition

5. linguistics another word for transformational rule

6. an apparently miraculous change in the appearance of a stage set

7. (in South Africa) a national strategy aimed at attaining national unity, promoting reconciliation through negotiated settlement and non-racism

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transformation Scientific  

/ trăns′fər-mā′shən /

1. The genetic alteration of a bacteria cell by the introduction of DNA from another cell or from a virus. Plasmids, which contain extrachromosomal DNA, are used to transform bacteria in recombinant DNA research.

2. The change undergone by an animal cell upon infection by a cancer-causing virus.

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Other Word Forms

• nontransformation noun
• retransformation noun
• self-transformation noun
• transformational adjective

Etymology

Origin of transformation

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Late Latin trānsfōrmātiōn-, stem of trānsfōrmātiō “change of shape”; equivalent to trans- + formation

Example Sentences

How do embryonic stem cells become brain cells, and which genes make that transformation possible?

From Science Daily

Around 445 million years ago, Earth underwent a dramatic transformation that reshaped the future of life.

From Science Daily

It has spent billions of dollars on a transformation of core risk and reporting systems.

From The Wall Street Journal

Even actors, the biggest suckers for rewarding bold performances involving transformation, wouldn’t nominate him.

From Los Angeles Times

“Faced with global economic uncertainties, the wave of digitalization, and profound changes in customer behavior, the retail industry is undergoing an unprecedented transformation,” the company said in a statement.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• conversion
• metamorphosis
• renewal
• revolution
• shift