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formation

noun

Simple meaning

Assembling a group or structure.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

fawrmayshuhn

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US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

fɔɹˈmeɪʃən

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. Natural process that causes something to form

    “The formation of gas in the intestine.”

  2. The act of assembling a group or structure. [from 14th c.]

  3. Something possessing structure or form. [from 17th c.]

  4. The process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics. [from 18th c.]

  5. The process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
A2 · Elementary (estimated)
Frequency
Common
Typical Use
General English

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More ways to use formation

  • “The formation of gas in the intestine.”noun

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Common Patterns and Combinations

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capital formationreticular formationbone formationidentity formationstate formationcomplex formationsocial formationstar formation

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Word family

Words built from the same root.

  • formeradjectiveDerived adjective

    Referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned (or the earlier one or ones of several).

  • formaladjectiveDerived adjective

    Being in accord with established forms and conventions and requirements (as e.g. of formal dress).

  • formallyadverbDerived adverb

    With official authorization.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • geological formationnounCompound term

    The geological features of the earth.

  • heat of formationnounCompound term

    The heat evolved or absorbed during the formation of one mole of a substance from its component elements.

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.