Dictionary

formation en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /foːˈmæɪʃ(ə)n/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• /fɔɹˈmeɪʃ(ə)n/ (Canada, General-American)
• /fɔːˈmeɪʃ(ə)n/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Midwestern-US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English formacioun, formation, borrowed from Old French formacion, from Latin fōrmātiō, from fōrmō (“form”, verb); see form as verb. Morphologically form + -ation.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The act of assembling a group or structure.
   • Some cloud formation was confirmed and rainfall was observed over some islands. 2019, VOA Learning English (public domain)
2. (countable, uncountable) Something possessing structure or form.
3. (countable, uncountable) The process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics.
4. (countable, uncountable) A grouping of military units or smaller formations under a command, such as a brigade, division, wing, etc.
5. (countable, uncountable) A layer of rock of common origin.
   • Over a broad region, the color of a formation may change. 2012, Chinle Miller, In Mesozoic Lands: The Mesozoic Geology of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Kindle edition:
6. (countable, uncountable) An arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft, such as a wedge, line abreast, or echelon. Often "in formation".
7. (countable, uncountable) An arrangement of players designed to facilitate certain plays.
   • N'Golo Kanté embodies both sides of this, a player whose early scratchiness was soothed with glorious results in the new 3-4-3 formation, allowed simply to be his best, most wonderfully mobile, diligent, destructive self. 2017 May 13, Barney Ronay, “Antonio Conte’s brilliance has turned Chelsea’s pop-up team into champions”, in the Guardian:
8. (countable, uncountable) The process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation.
9. (countable, uncountable) A structure made of two categories, two functors from the first to the second category, and a transformation from one of the functors to the other.

Forms

Deriveds

neoformation · formation lap · reticular formation · reformation · missing man formation · nonformation · preformation · formation water · gust formation time · formation rule · subformation · loan formation · pattern formation · V formation · government formation · I formation · microformation · back-formation · geoformation · malformation · re-formation · postformation · formation exposure time · Christmas tree formation · word formation · T formation · cave formation · trips formation · A formation · back formation · progressive longways formation · rock formation · misformation · electroformation · unformation · osteoformation · free cell formation · formational

Hyponyms

geologic formation · mass formation

Relateds

form

Translations (101)

ga fíor (military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft) · id formasi (act of assembling a group or structure) · te ఏర్పాటు (act of assembling a group or structure) · hu képződmény (something possessing structure or form) · hu kialakítás (process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics) · fi -muodostus (something possessing structure or form) · nl vorming (process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation) · bg строй (military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft) · nl formatie (military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft) · hu kialakulás (act of assembling a group or structure) · ko 진형 (military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft) · id formasi (process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation) · lv veidošana (act of assembling a group or structure) · fi muodostelma (military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft) · pl formacja (act of assembling a group or structure) · hy կազմավորում (something possessing structure or form) · pl formacja (process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics) · ru строй (military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft) · ko 대형 (military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft) · lv izglītība (process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation) · fi muodostelma (military: grouping of units under a command) · tr ifrağ (act of assembling a group or structure) · hy կազմավորում (geology: rock or face of a mountain) · hy ձեւավորում (act of assembling a group or structure) · fi muodostaminen (act of assembling a group or structure) · nl formatie (act of assembling a group or structure) · fi muodostus (act of assembling a group or structure) · eo formacio (military: grouping of units under a command) · te నిర్మాణం (something possessing structure or form) · hu képződmény (geology: rock or face of a mountain) · pt formação (process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation) · pl formacja (military: grouping of units under a command) · id pembentukan (act of assembling a group or structure) · hu -képzés (process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics) · pl utworzenie (act of assembling a group or structure) · ar تَشْكِيلَة (military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft) · az təşəkkül (process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics) · ko 조립 (act of assembling a group or structure) · hu alakulat (something possessing structure or form) · eo formigo (something possessing structure or form) · nl formatie (something possessing structure or form) · ko 구조 (something possessing structure or form) · hy կազմավորում (act of assembling a group or structure) · no formasjon (military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft) · hu -alakulás (act of assembling a group or structure) · hu megalakulás (act of assembling a group or structure) · az formalaşma (process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics) · sv forma (process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation) · hu létrehozás (process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics) · nl formatie (military: grouping of units under a command) · bg форма́ция (something possessing structure or form) · grc παράταξις (military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft) · pl formacja (geology: rock or face of a mountain) · sv formation (something possessing structure or form) · ru структу́ра (something possessing structure or form) · pl formacja (military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft) · hu alakulat (military: grouping of units under a command) · ru формирова́ние (act of assembling a group or structure) · nrf faîs'sie (act of assembling a group or structure) · fi muodostuma (geology: rock or face of a mountain) · hy ձեւավորում (something possessing structure or form) · hu formáció (geology: rock or face of a mountain) · de Bildung (act of assembling a group or structure) · bg образу́ване (act of assembling a group or structure) · ota یاپی (something possessing structure or form) · ko 지층 (geology: rock or face of a mountain) · hu alakzat (military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft) · ru формирова́ние (military: grouping of units under a command) · ru образова́ние (something possessing structure or form) · fi muodostuma (something possessing structure or form) · hu -alkotás (process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics) · ru констру́кция (something possessing structure or form) · ru созда́ние (act of assembling a group or structure) · pl formacja (something possessing structure or form) · ar تَشَكُّل (process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics) · ga fíor (military: grouping of units under a command) · bg форма́ция (military: grouping of units under a command) · ru образова́ние (process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation) · mt formazzjoni (something possessing structure or form) · ko 편대 (military: grouping of units under a command) · ar تَشْكِيلَة (military: grouping of units under a command) · ru форма́ция (geology: rock or face of a mountain) · fi koulutus (process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation) · id formasi (military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft) · tr şekillendirme (act of assembling a group or structure) · nl rotsformatie (geology: rock or face of a mountain) · hu létrejövés (act of assembling a group or structure) · hu megalakítás (process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics) · vi thành hệ (geology: rock or face of a mountain) · bg форми́ране (act of assembling a group or structure) · tl sabuo (act of assembling a group or structure) · mt formazzjoni (act of assembling a group or structure) · fi muodostelma (something possessing structure or form) · hu képződés (act of assembling a group or structure) · ru обуче́ние (process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation) · ms pembentukan (act of assembling a group or structure) · be будава́нне (act of assembling a group or structure) · az törəmə (geology: rock or face of a mountain) · ms formasi (military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft) · ru образова́ние (act of assembling a group or structure) · hu pályaorientáció (process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation)