Nearby Words

formation

[fawr-mey-shuhn] Example Sentences Origin

for·ma·tion

[fawr-mey-shuhn]
noun
1.
the act or process of forming or the state of being formed: the formation of ice.
2.
the manner in which a thing is formed; disposition of parts; formal structure or arrangement.
3.
Military.
a.
a particular disposition of troops, as in columns, squares, etc.
b.
any required assembling of the soldiers of a unit.
4.
Geology.
a.
a body of rocks classed as a stratigraphic unit for geologic mapping. Compare member (def. 8).
b.
the process of depositing rock or mineral of a particular composition or origin.

Origin:
1375–1425; late Middle English formacioun < Latin fōrmātiōn- (stem of fōrmātiō), equivalent to fōrmāt(us) (see form, -ate1) + -iōn- -ion

for·ma·tion·al, adjective
mis·for·ma·tion, noun
non·for·ma·tion, noun
self-for·ma·tion, noun
sub·for·ma·tion, noun
EXPAND
su·per·for·ma·tion, noun
COLLAPSE


1. establishment, founding, organization.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To formation

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Formation is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
Example Sentences
  • But it was primarily tied to the lack of new business formation.
  • Responsible for the formation of clergy and their ongoing training.
  • The discovery of planets around other stars has forced a rewrite of the rules of planetary formation.
EXPAND
Collins
World English Dictionary
formation (fɔːˈmeɪʃən)
 
n
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.  a.  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
 b.  (as modifier): formation dancing
5.  geology
 a.  the fundamental lithostratigraphic unit
 b.  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
 
for'mational
 
adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

formation
late 14c., from O.Fr. formation or directly from L. formationem (nom. formatio), from formare to form (see form).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

formation for·ma·tion (fôr-mā'shən)
n.

  1. The act or process of forming something or of taking form.

  2. Something formed.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
formation   (fôr-mā'shən)  Pronunciation Key 
A long, mappable body of rock that is recognizable by its physical characteristics and by its location within the rock record.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Images for formation
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature