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

For Angela Bassett, wearing a striking chartreuse Gucci gown — and who later took the stage to introduce Coogler — her most transformative experience in film or art was one that hit close to home. —Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 2 Nov. 2025

How transformative will Fox’s and Sochan’s returns be? —Jared Weiss, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025

In Pollard’s view, this transformative magic alchemizes when complete strangers connect and become friends. —Georgiana Ralphs, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025

But almost all agreed that AI is going to have a transformative and lasting impact on their companies, and on the world economy, even if there is a market correction. —Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 30 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