formation
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 of formation
1Other words for formation
Other words from formation
- 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
- su·per·for·ma·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for formation
/ (fɔːˈmeɪʃən) /
the act of giving or taking form, shape, or existence
something that is formed
the manner in which something is formed or arranged
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
(as modifier): formation dancing
geology
the fundamental lithostratigraphic unit
a series of rocks with certain characteristics in common
ecology a community of plants, such as a tropical rainforest, extending over a very large area
Derived forms of formation
- formational, 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
Scientific definitions for formation
[ fôr-mā′shən ]
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 © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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