formative en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- [-ɾɪv] (Canada, General-American)
- [-ɾɪv] (Australia)
- (Southern-England) audio
- [-ɾəv] (New-Zealand)
- /ˈfoɹmətɪv/ (Canada, General-American)
- /ˈfoːmətɪv/ (Australia)
- /ˈfoːmətəv/ (New-Zealand)
- /ˈfɔːmətɪv/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Middle English formatyve, formatif (“having the ability to form”), from Old French formatif, formative (modern French formatif), from Medieval Latin formātīvus, from Latin fōrmātus + -īvus (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘doing’ or ‘related to doing’). Fōrmātus is the perfect passive participle of fōrmō (“to form, to shape”), from fōrma (“a form, shape”); further etymology uncertain, possibly related to Ancient Greek μορφή (morphḗ, “a form, shape”) (see further at that entry). By surface analysis, form + -ative.
Meanings
-
Capable of forming something.
[I]ts thought, that, in the Seed are alvvaies potentially ſeuerall indiuiduating Qualities deriu'd from diuers of the neere Anceſtors, vvhich by the formatiue povver of the Parents may be expreſt in the Children, vvith reſpectiue habitude to either Sex; […]
1614, John Selden, “The Preface”, in Titles of Honor, London: […] William Stansby for Iohn Helme, […], →OCLC, signature [b4], recto:Hybrids, […] have their reproductive organs functionally impotent, as may be clearly seen in the state of the male element in both plants and animals; though the formative organs themselves are perfect in structure, as far as the microscope reveals.
1866, Charles Darwin, “Hybridism”, in On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, […], 4th edition, London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, page 293:
- Capable of forming something. ▸ Capable of producing new tissue.
- Capable of forming something. ▸ Pertaining to the formation of words; specifically, of an affix: forming words through inflection.
-
Of or pertaining to the formation and subsequent growth of something.
My formative years were spent in an inner city.
- Of a form of assessment: used to guide learning rather than to quantify educational outcomes.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most formative | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more formative | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
unformative · unformative · unformative · unformative
Coordinates
Deriveds
preformative · reformative · vasoformative · formatively · neoformative · postformative · neuroformative · unformative · formativeness
Relateds
Synonyms
poietic · creant · poietic · creant · poietic · creant
Translations (30)
fi formatiivinen (pertaining to the formation of words) · fi muotoaja (capable of forming something) · fi kudosta muodostava (capable of producing new tissue) · ka წარმომქმნელი (of or pertaining to the formation and subsequent growth of something) · es formativo (of or pertaining to the formation and subsequent growth of something) · fi sanojen muodostukseen liittyvä (pertaining to the formation of words) · fi muovaava (of or pertaining to the formation and subsequent growth of something) · es formador (of or pertaining to the formation and subsequent growth of something) · fi oppimisen (of a form of assessment: used to guide learning rather than to quantify educational outcomes) · pl twórczy (capable of forming something) · fi kasvu- (of or pertaining to the formation and subsequent growth of something) · it formatore (of or pertaining to the formation and subsequent growth of something) · fi kehitys- (of or pertaining to the formation and subsequent growth of something) · fr formatif (of or pertaining to the formation and subsequent growth of something) · ca formatiu (capable of forming something) · ru образова́тельный (of or pertaining to the formation and subsequent growth of something) · ro formativ (of or pertaining to the formation and subsequent growth of something) · sv formativ (of or pertaining to the formation and subsequent growth of something) · ca formatiu (of or pertaining to the formation and subsequent growth of something) · ru словообразующий (pertaining to the formation of words) · de bildend (of or pertaining to the formation and subsequent growth of something) · id formatif (of or pertaining to the formation and subsequent growth of something) · id formatif (capable of forming something) · it formativo (of or pertaining to the formation and subsequent growth of something) · la operātīvus (capable of forming something) · fr formateur (of or pertaining to the formation and subsequent growth of something) · id formatif (pertaining to the formation of words) · fi formatiivinen (of a form of assessment: used to guide learning rather than to quantify educational outcomes) · pl twórczy (of or pertaining to the formation and subsequent growth of something) · id formatif (of a form of assessment: used to guide learning rather than to quantify educational outcomes)