transformation

[trans-fer-mey-shuhn]

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.

transformation

/ 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

transformation

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.

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of transformation¹

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

Example Sentences

He also represents something else - the transformation of the footballer into a public narrative.

From BBC

Over the course of a hot summer day, four hairdressers and a young receptionist spar and bond with each other and a parade of customers who arrive seeking transformation both physical and spiritual.

From Los Angeles Times

"I'm sure there are lots of people in the West who don't approve, but people here are really excited about the transformation programme," said Sara.

From BBC

Combs' children - some sobbing - also vouched for his transformation in prison.

From BBC

I think that I should be so lucky to experience a down-to-the-studs transformation as someone whose job it is to get close to the meat of life and talk about what that was like.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• conversion 
• metamorphosis 
• renewal 
• revolution 
• shift