transformation

[trans-fer-mey-shuh n]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR transformation ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act or process of transforming.

the state of being transformed.

change in form, appearance, nature, or character.

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

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

Mathematics.

the act, process, or result of transforming or mapping.
function(def 4a).

Linguistics.

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

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

a wig or hairpiece for a woman.

Origin of transformation

1400–50; late Middle English < Late Latin trānsfōrmātiōn- (stem of trānsfōrmātiō) change of shape. See trans-, formation

Related formstrans·for·ma·tion·al, adjectivenon·trans·for·ma·tion, nounre·trans·for·ma·tion, nounself-trans·for·ma·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for transformation

shift, conversion, revolution, metamorphosis, renewal, about-face, transfiguration, alteration, switch, flip-flop, transmogrification, changeover, transmutation

Examples from the Web for transformation

Contemporary Examples of transformation

And much of the credit to her transformation is owed to a finishing school that caters to women just like her.
Inside A Finishing School for Transwomen
Sharon Adarlo
December 27, 2014
The Transformation Journey How did this transformation happen?
The Science of Ingredient Innovation
December 15, 2014
It is a transformation that is undetectable to anyone not paying close attention.
Cornel West’s Disappointing Decline
David Masciotra
October 23, 2014
Instead, we see there is a painfully innocent happiness to Rene about her spiritual “transformation.”
Mississippi Is Hell for These Lesbians
Emily Shire
August 8, 2014
That transformation of the brand seems now to have its apotheosis in the arrival of the Tour de France.
A British Start to the Tour de France Forces the English to Wonder: What Does Being English Mean Anymore?
Clive Irving
July 6, 2014

Historical Examples of transformation

Mr. Roberts, at least, was prepared to appreciate its transformation.
Ester Ried Yet Speaking
Isabella Alden
But you are so lost in your news that you have not observed my transformation.'
Micah Clarke
Arthur Conan Doyle
So far as the man's head and face went, the transformation was perfect.
Henry Dunbar
M. E. Braddon
Davenport had a letter from you before he—before any transformation could have begun.
The Mystery of Murray Davenport
Robert Neilson Stephens
One touch with a sword of state, and the transformation was effected.
Barnaby Rudge
Charles Dickens

British Dictionary definitions for transformation

transformation

noun

a change or alteration, esp a radical one

the act of transforming or the state of being transformed

maths

a change in position or direction of the reference axes in a coordinate system without an alteration in their relative angle
an equivalent change in an expression or equation resulting from the substitution of one set of variables by another

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-particleCompare transition (def. 5)

linguistics another word for transformational rule

an apparently miraculous change in the appearance of a stage set

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

Derived Formstransformational, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for transformation

c.1400, from Old French transformation and directly from Latin transformationem (nominative transformatio), noun of action from past participle stem of transformare (see transform).

transformation in Medicine

transformation

[trăns′fər-mā′shən]

n.

metamorphosis

The genetic alteration of a bacterial cell by introduction of DNA from another cell or from a virus.

transformation in Science

transformation

[trăns′fər-mā′shən]

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.

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