formative

adjective for·ma·tive \ ˈfȯr-mə-tiv \

Updated on: 20 Apr 2018

Definition of formative

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

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formatively

adverb

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Examples of formative in a Sentence

This experience had a formative influence on his art.
a teacher who was a formative influence on generations of students

Recent Examples of formative from the Web

That must have been a pretty formative experience for you, starting at the NBA level.

— ben steele, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Q&A: New Golden Eagles assistant emphasizes building relationships with recruits and staff," 12 Apr. 2018
The protagonist, Taeko Okajima, is a 27-year old woman heading to the Japanese countryside on vacation when she is idly struck by memories of her 10-year-old self, formative stories and events that take on new meaning for her in hindsight.

— david sims, The Atlantic, "Remembering Animation's Legendary Isao Takahata," 11 Apr. 2018
The video includes childhood photos from Shelton’s own life, including one from his early childhood, as his ten-year-old self clutches a guitar, and one from his formative teenage years, as his seventeen-year-old self moves into his first apartment.

— natalie maher, Billboard, "Blake Shelton Looks at Former Versions of Himself in Music Video for 'I Lived It'," 2 Mar. 2018
Prince Harry spent the formative years of his life a few steps away from the throne.

— megan friedman, Town & Country, "Prince Harry Just Said the Sweetest Thing About Prince George and Princess Charlotte," 26 June 2017
Flanagan spent her formative years in Marblehead, Massachusetts, and remembers attending the race in person.

— ken goe, OregonLive.com, "On Shalane Flanagan, and on Fayetteville's bid for the NCAAs: Oregon track & field rundown," 2 Apr. 2018
Pulse is in the formative stages of starting a label.

— melinda newman, Billboard, "Pulse Music Turns 10: Indie Publisher Talks Label Plans, Going Global & Why They're Not for Sale," 30 Mar. 2018
But at the heart of James' story is his formative struggle as a teenager in the late 1960s.

— bill turque, kansascity, "How the untold story of Sly James' youth shapes his hopes for healing KC's racial divide | The Kansas City Star," 23 Mar. 2018
In 1953, during the Eisenhower administration, Vice President Richard Nixon undertook a formative trip across Asia.

— amar diwakar, The New Republic, "Saffron Curtain: How Buddhism Was Weaponized During the Cold War," 23 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'formative.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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.