transformation

noun trans·for·ma·tion \ ˌtran(t)s-fər-ˈmā-shən , -fȯr- \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of transformation

1 : an act, process, or instance of transforming or being transformed

2 : false hair worn especially by a woman to replace or supplement natural hair

3 a (1) : the operation of changing (as by rotation or mapping) one configuration or expression into another in accordance with a mathematical rule; especially : a change of variables or coordinates in which a function of new variables or coordinates is substituted for each original variable or coordinate

(2) : the formula that effects a transformation

b : function 5a

c : an operation that converts (as by insertion, deletion, or permutation) one grammatical string (such as a sentence) into another; also : a formal statement of such an operation

4 : genetic modification of a bacterium by incorporation of free DNA from another bacterial cell; also : genetic modification of a cell by the uptake and incorporation of exogenous DNA

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Examples of transformation in a Sentence

The building underwent various transformations over the years.
a raven-haired starlet who underwent an attention-getting transformation and showed up at the awards ceremony as a blonde

Recent Examples of transformation from the Web

The speech commemorated four decades since China embraced an economic transformation that opened it to the world.

— jessica meyers, latimes.com, "Amid Trump's threats, Xi pledges to slash tariffs, open China's markets," 10 Apr. 2018
On Saturday, the show's new season premiered after a decade-long break — and people had a lot to say about Hildi Santo-Tomas and Doug Wilson's interesting room transformations.

— amanda garrity, Good Housekeeping, "The "Trading Spaces" Premiere Gets Mixed Reactions From Fans," 9 Apr. 2018
Others expressed how spooked out and uncomfortable they were made by Glover's transformation and wheezy voice on social media.

— michael saponara, Billboard, "Donald Glover Stayed in Whiteface the Entire Time on Set During the Filming of Latest 'Atlanta' Episode," 9 Apr. 2018
Ironically, given that the musical has a more cartoonish quality amplified by the extensive use of video in the design, the key transformation plays more believably on stage.

— david rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Mean Girls': Theater Review," 9 Apr. 2018
The multi-year transformation is scheduled to wrap up in 2020.

— blair kamin, chicagotribune.com, "Around Wrigley Field, a high-stakes urban design drama plays out as buildings fall and rise," 6 Apr. 2018
With access to Hurst's journal, Dan Pompei describes the transformation.

— jacob feldman, SI.com, "Rams and Broncos Exploiting the NFL's Newest Market Inefficiency," 6 Apr. 2018
This extraordinary transformation has included the provision of cloud services across Washington’s bureaucracy, from the Department of Homeland Security to the Smithsonian Institution.

— brody mullins, WSJ, "As Trump Bashes Amazon, the Government Relies on It," 5 Apr. 2018
That’s the transformation that Scott Kelley has made in recent years.

— geoff bruce, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Local breweries make a splash in the suburbs," 4 Apr. 2018

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