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formation

[fawr-mey-shuhn]

Example Sentences Origin

noun

the act or process of forming or the state of being formed: the formation of ice.

the manner in which a thing is formed; disposition of parts; formal structure or arrangement.

Military.

a particular disposition of troops, as in columns, squares, etc.

any required assembling of the soldiers of a unit.

Geology.

a body of rocks classed as a stratigraphic unit for geologic mapping. Compare member (def. 8).

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

Related forms

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

Synonyms
1. establishment, founding, organization.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

Examples include how an atoll is formed, weather systems around islands, or the volcanic formation of islands.

Small sugar fragments can set off a signal cascade that increases inflammation and scar formation.

But in a few caves the conditions were ideal for formation of a different kind of treasure.

Prompt removal of spent flower stalks to prevent energy-robbing seed formation.

Flurries of questions about mysterious triangle-shaped snowflakes may soon subside, thanks to new research on snowflake formation.

One possible method would use injection wells to circulate hot carbon-dioxide-rich gases through the fractured shale formation.

His research led to the formation of the university's first biotechnology company.

They wondered if he might be able to construct a mathematical model of the formation and growth of bubbles in stout.

Swirling eddies and chaotic vortices are crucial to the formation of new planets, suggests a counterintuitive new study.

Formation of protostars from hydrogen gas ended cosmic dark ages.

The arid landscape is punctuated only by the occasional anemic acacia tree or red-stone formation rising from the sand.

After bloom, shear off spent flower spikes to keep the planting neat and prevent seed formation.

More immediately, they're a starting point for research on bacterial contributions to cloud formation and precipitation.

Some experts believe it may play an important role in the formation of cholesterol gallstones.

One, in handwriting eyes and hands focus upon the same thing, the letter in formation.

The result is the formation of a new generation of stalagmites.

The blue galaxy is disrupted and has new star formation which strongly suggests it is the interloper.

Formation of an ocean is a rare event, one few scientists have ever witnessed.

Partly buried by flakes of battleship-gray rock is a telling geological formation.

Something as simple as feeding birds can change their biological fate, and even seed the formation of a new species.

They also disperse the learning outcomes, creating a cohort of young adults without a common intellectual formation.

New firm formation is surprisingly and disappointingly low, for instance.

Some galaxies in this photo were created less than one billion years after the formation of the universe.

Their formation cannot be explained using our usual ideas of star formation.

Spurs faster interaction between nerve cells in the brain, aiding memory formation and attention.

By finding similar protoplanets, astronomers can get a glimpse of the process that drives the formation of planets.

Helens, a volcanic formation seems to come to life as it exhales a cloud of steam.

Hubble has uncovered a goldmine of young dwarf galaxies that are undergoing intense bursts of star formation.

Essentially, the new neurons may aid formation of new memories by keeping the hippocampus from filling up with old ones.

Its twinkling is significant because it could provide clues about the mechanism of planetary formation around young stars.

Scientists downplay the role of global warming in the formation of icebergs.

The new model does not close the moon formation debate, however.

Freezing was official when sensors picked up an electrical signal created by ice formation.

Herschel will study the formation of galaxies and examine how they age.

Additional star formation is thought to be triggered by the expanding gas shells of superbubbles such as this one.

New findings suggest that a lump of clay could have provided a platform for the formation of primordial cells.

But the clumpy pattern of gases hints that a violent interaction between two stars led to its formation.

First to be tossed out, therefore, are stars lacking the metallic elements needed for planet formation.

But the never-before-seen display may also one day lead to a new burst of star and planet formation.

Nearly every field of astronomy, from galaxy formation to star formation, has an.

The smart money says that plaque formation triggers the disease, and that the tangles are a secondary effect.

Study hence needs to be directed in determining the factors which are responsible for biofilm formation.

All this suggests that the formation of both languages and species is an active process.

Angiogenesis¿the formation of new blood vessels¿might one day be manipulated to treat disorders from cancer to heart disease.

Cosmic rays have also been implicated in cloud formation.

Entropy increases if transformable energy increases but not necessarily in dynamic equilibrium system such as group formation.

Now researchers have caught one of these shining suns in the act of nebula formation.

Ever since, researchers have been trying to establish a link between black hole formation and the growth of a galaxy itself.

New research shows that plankton's swimming and shape play a role in the formation of algal blooms that cause toxic tides.

The outrage led to a new election and the formation of a shaky pro-Western coalition government.

The intimacy of the setting encourages the formation of book clubs, babysitting co-ops, and emergency response plans.

Reid said that he was not at all troubled by the formation of the group.

It is a cultural formation that extends across the political spectrum.

The findings suggest that black holes are pivotal to the formation of galaxies and the structure of the universe.

Long viewed as a stately procession to a foregone conclusion, planetary formation turns out to be startlingly chaotic.

To encourage flower formation for next winter's bloom, fertilize every time you water.

Some experts believe bilirubin may play an important role in the formation of cholesterol gallstones.

The tree rings emerge from each year's formation of pores that supply the tree with water and nutrients.

Yet the formation of a new government is still a step forward.

Most scientists think asteroids are leftover material from the formation of our solar system.

New study counteracts neurobiological dogma, which says inhibiting new protein formation in the brain causes memory loss.

Once only a theory, this formation has now been caught in the act by scientists using.

He believes the answer to lightning formation must therefore lie in the special properties of ice particles.

The cooperation required for their formation has in some cases become the genesis of closer alliances and full-fledged mergers.

Our scientific specimens increase understanding of our planet's formation and biodiversity.

If memory formation works the same way in people, scientists might be able to counter memory loss by boosting acetylation.

It announced the formation of an investigative committee to get to the bottom of the abuse allegations.

Then learn about the formation of star clusters and how the planets were formed.

Other studies have found activation patterns that precede the formation of certain types of memories, such as verbal or visual.

They are ready to engage more thoughtfully and intensively in the moral formation of their students.

It was obviously domesticated camels who were important in the formation of the culture.

Next, there are fundamental disagreements over the formation of an interim government and a body to replace the parliament.

They ran in a triangular formation with the pups in the middle.

So, if you add a source of methane, conditions there are often ideal for the formation of clathrates.

These materials are prone to infection, clot formation and other complications.

Only a senior woman can get young male's attention--even in formation.

The finding provides strong support for astronomers' theories about star formation in such hydrogen-rich regions.

But it does seem safe to say that economics will play a bigger part in the formation of those policies.

But that is no reason for thinking that the formation of planetary bodies needs a star.

Freud, on this reading, was right about the importance of early experience on character formation.

These precious rocks occasionally contain impurities trapped inside during formation billions of years ago.

They wanted to study tunnel formation in microgravity.

The result of this would be the formation of new species.

Wrinkle formation as a result of intrinsic aging is inevitable, but it will always be slight.

At night, they demonstrated their skills, flying their glowing creations in formation high above the cold.

He has, to his delight, been able to follow the formation of individual organs in an individual animal.

Evidence from autopsied brains of some of those who died also indicated reduced plaque formation.

Some theorize that the strong winds and jets surrounding black holes could help feed star formation and induce galaxies to grow.

They do so by turning off genes that would otherwise suppress the formation of tumours.

Bertozzi and colleagues ran simulations that led to the formation of crime hot spots and then simulated police intervention.

He thinks the government could approve the formation of several private banks this year.

But it also decreased blood flow in areas involved in memory formation and regions that normally moderate drug-seeking behavior.

The team also built a simple mathematical model of raft formation.

But it was accused of breaking a law which says that companies are not allowed to obstruct the formation of trade unions.

Moon formation and spin rate are heavily affected by large late formation collisions.

The major concern in cryopreservation of cells is the possible formation of ice crystals inside in the cells.

Investigators are already seeking ways to block the activity or formation of the abnormal proteins.

COLLAPSE

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
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

formation

late 14c., from O.Fr. formation or directly from L. formationem (nom. formatio), from formare to form (see form).

American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

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

The act or process of forming something or of taking form.
Something formed.

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.

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