formative

1 of 2

adjective

for·​ma·​tive ˈfȯr-mə-tiv 

1

a

: giving or capable of giving form : constructive

a formative influence

b

: used in word formation or inflection

2

: capable of alteration by growth and development

also : producing new cells and tissues

3

: of, relating to, or characterized by formative effects or formation

formative years

formatively adverb

formative

2 of 2

noun

: the element (such as a suffix) in a word that serves to give the word appropriate form and is not part of the base

Did you know?

Whatever gives shape to something else may be called formative: for example, the Grand Canyon is a product of the formative power of water, and the automobile was a huge formative influence on the design of America's cities. But it usually applies to some kind of shaping that isn't physical. An ambitious plan, for example, goes through a formative stage of development. The formative years of the U.S. included experimentation with various forms of government. And the most important formative experiences in our own lives tend to take place in the first 20 years or so.

Synonyms

Adjective

• constructive
• productive

Examples of formative in a Sentence

Adjective

This experience had a formative influence on his art.

a teacher who was a formative influence on generations of students

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The Israeli occupation of Lebanon appears to have been formative in Nasrallah’s motivations. —Bryan Pietsch, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023

Rustin spent formative years in the places where change gestated—the dusty downtown offices of the War Resisters League, and the Harlem branch of the fledgling Congress of Racial Equality. —Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2023

During many of my formative years, Gossip Girl ruled the airwaves and The Disney Channel continued to push colorful tights onto the masses. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2023

Speculative Fiction April 11, 2023 Civil rights history was a constant in Due’s formative years. —Paula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2023

But those formative years sparked a lifelong obsession. —Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 22 Oct. 2023

JoJo Siwa Over the years, the Dance Moms alumna has spent some of her happiest and most formative moments at the magical theme park. —Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 16 Oct. 2023

But to my siblings and I—and millions of other 90s kids like us—the film was a formative experience. —Sona Charaipotra, Parents, 11 Oct. 2023

What defined Hamas in its formative years was its blanket opposition to the two-state solution. —Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2023

Noun

Any Hollywood star who has done a big movie — or at least one formative to their career — probably has taken a special prop or two from set. —Andrea Towers, EW.com, 12 Apr. 2022

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Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1816, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

formative

adjective

for·​ma·​tive

ˈfȯr-mət-iv

1

: giving or able to give form

a formative influence

2

: of, relating to, or characterized by important growth or formation

formative years

formatively adverb

formativeness noun

Medical Definition

formative

adjective

for·​ma·​tive ˈfȯr-mət-iv 

: capable of alteration by growth and development

also : producing new cells and tissues