formation
noun
for·ma·tion
fȯr-ˈmā-shən 
1
: an act of giving form or shape to something or of taking form : development
the formation of the planets
2
: something that is formed
new word formations
a rock formation
3
: the manner in which a thing is formed : structure
the peculiar formation of the heart
4
: a major kind of plant growth (such as forest, grassland, or tundra) characteristic of a broad ecological region
5
a
: any igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic rock represented as a unit
b
: any sedimentary bed or consecutive series of beds sufficiently homogeneous or distinctive to be a unit
6
: an arrangement of a body or group of persons or things in some prescribed manner or for a particular purpose
flying in formation
Examples of formation in a Sentence
The book explains the formation of the planets.
The soldiers were marching in formation.
The team ran on the field and lined up in a punt formation.
Recent Examples on the Web
Guarino, who appeared 99 times for Italy during her playing career, was named Juventus’ first head coach upon the formation of the women’s team in 2017.
—
Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2025
Other locations were the Tepuis in Venezuela as well as the karst formations in Thailand.
—Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 21 Dec. 2025
Kalas first started searching for a dusty disk around Fomalhaut in 1993, hoping to see for the first time the debris left over after planet formation.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 20 Dec. 2025
According to the term sheet, which outlines plans but isn't an official contract, union negotiations cannot legally begin until the joint fire department's formation because the new department would have to form its own union.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for formation
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Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2025
Other locations were the Tepuis in Venezuela as well as the karst formations in Thailand.
—Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 21 Dec. 2025
Kalas first started searching for a dusty disk around Fomalhaut in 1993, hoping to see for the first time the debris left over after planet formation.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 20 Dec. 2025
According to the term sheet, which outlines plans but isn't an official contract, union negotiations cannot legally begin until the joint fire department's formation because the new department would have to form its own union.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for formation
Cite this Entry
“Formation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/formation. Accessed 22 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
formation
noun
for·ma·tion
fȯr-ˈmā-shən
Medical Definition
formation
noun
for·ma·tion
fȯr-ˈmā-shən
1
: an act of giving form or shape to something or of taking form : development
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