as in creative
having a role in deciding something's final form
a teacher who was a formative influence on generations of students
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Recent Examples of formative
The sisters grew up in Jamaica and spent formative years elsewhere in the Caribbean, traveling island to island—a childhood that broadened their palates and sensibilities.
—
Gina Pace, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Kelsie Whitmore was born at Sharp Memorial Hospital and spent her formative years locally before moving to Temecula.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2025
There have always been outliers, though, even in the game’s formative years.
—James Wallace, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
Kirk spent around five formative years in Chicago, living just off Ashland and studying at the Theatre School at DePaul University alongside Judy Greer and then working in Chicago’s storefront scene in the late 1990s, founding a company called Saint Ed at the Chopin Theatre in Wicker Park.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for formative
Gina Pace, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Kelsie Whitmore was born at Sharp Memorial Hospital and spent her formative years locally before moving to Temecula.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2025
There have always been outliers, though, even in the game’s formative years.
—James Wallace, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
Kirk spent around five formative years in Chicago, living just off Ashland and studying at the Theatre School at DePaul University alongside Judy Greer and then working in Chicago’s storefront scene in the late 1990s, founding a company called Saint Ed at the Chopin Theatre in Wicker Park.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for formative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formative
Adjective
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Still, Target is taking aim at its biggest problem, and given the declining fortunes of this classic American brand, that alone constitutes a creative step in the right direction.—
Dan Gingiss,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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From a creative perspective, who was the better playwright, Inchbald the professional or Austen, who merely played around at it in her fiction?—
Emily Zarevich,
JSTOR Daily,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The Phillies have discovered a productive unit by cutting their most expensive outfielder’s playing time and rallying around three guys who are probably still platoon players but are making the most of every chance.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
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As for jobs in programming, a field that’s already faced changes thanks to the new tech, Altman noted that AI tools have made coders far more productive, but the long-term impact is still unclear.—
Jessica Coacci,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The week’s top movers were propelled by upbeat quarterly surprises, sizable chip agreements, and constructive regulatory developments.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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If the Kingdom locks those reforms in while sustaining a realistic pace on its mega-projects and widening space for constructive debate, the payoff will extend far beyond its borders to a more stable and economically productive Arab region better able to compete in the world.—
Ali Shihabi,
Time,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Formative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formative. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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