What does "formation" mean?
The act of assembling a group or structure.
Formation
/fɔːˈmeɪʃən/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of assembling a group or structure.
- Grammar: formation is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: accumulation, acronym, acrostic, aesthetic form.
- Useful contrasts: agenesia, annihilation, break down.
- Usage evidence: The formation and movement of hurricanes are capricious, even with our present-day technology.
How to use "formation"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "formation" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "formation" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "formation" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "formation" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "formation" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accumulation" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "formation", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of assembling a group or structure. countable, uncountable
"Some cloud formation was confirmed and rainfall was observed over some islands."
- 2 the act of forming or establishing something wordnet
- 3 Something possessing structure or form. countable, uncountable
- 4 the act of fabricating something in a particular shape wordnet
- 5 The process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics. countable, uncountable
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 creation by mental activity wordnet
- 7 A grouping of military units or smaller formations under a command, such as a brigade, division, wing, etc. countable, uncountable
- 8 a particular spatial arrangement wordnet
- 9 A layer of rock of common origin. countable, uncountable
"Over a broad region, the color of a formation may change."
- 10 an arrangement of people or things acting as a unit wordnet
- 11 An arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft, such as a wedge, line abreast, or echelon. Often "in formation". countable, uncountable
- 12 (geology) the geological features of the earth wordnet
- 13 An arrangement of players designed to facilitate certain plays. countable, uncountable
"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."
- 14 natural process that causes something to form wordnet
- 15 The process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation. countable, uncountable
- 16 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. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The formation and movement of hurricanes are capricious, even with our present-day technology."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "formation"?
Common synonyms include: accumulation, acronym, acrostic, aesthetic form, allocation, allotment.
How do you use "formation" in a sentence?
The formation and movement of hurricanes are capricious, even with our present-day technology.
How do you pronounce "formation"?
Pronounced /fɔːˈmeɪʃən/.
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.