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

SpaceX’s Starship promised not just to get the job done for the moon landing — but to be transformative for the space industry. —Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025

The singer — whose life story was adapted into the 2012 musical Melanie and the Record Man — dropped several gems about her transformative festival experience during a 2018 interview with Best Classic Bands. —Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025

The Nobel Prizes continue to spotlight transformative achievements in science, literature, and peace, offering both financial support and global recognition to those who shape a better future. —Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025

For these reasons, ending the Maduro regime would be transformative for Venezuela and Latin America. —Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1668, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for transformative

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