transformative

adjective

trans·​for·​ma·​tive tran(t)s-ˈfȯr-mə-tiv 

: causing or able to cause an important and lasting change in someone or something

a transformative experience

And she'll tell anyone who asks about her transformative weeks working for UNICEF in Congo and Cambodia.

—S. L. Price

It is increasingly hard to escape the conclusion that American politics has entered one of those rare transformative moments that shape the content of our public discourse and the direction of our governance for generations.

—Doug Ireland

Examples of transformative in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Economists, policymakers and technology leaders must act now to understand the economics of transformative AI and to build the incentives, guardrails, and institutions needed to steer AI in a direction that complements humans and benefits society. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 13 July 2026

Leaders at both nonprofits said the Prebys grant will be transformative for their organizations and for San Diego’s economy. — Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 July 2026

On artificial intelligence, the members all appear to be believers in AI as a transformative technology. — Katie Foley, CNBC, 10 July 2026

Lynn Richardson-Godfrey, CXO at Blood Cancer United, is an expert in transformative marketing for nonprofits & iconic brands. — Lynn Godfrey, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1668, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for transformative

• germinative
• argive
• forgive
• ogive
• outlive
• relive
• corroborative
• determinative
• give
• sieve
• resistive