transformative

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

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of transformative

: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

See transformative defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of transformative from the Web

But for Cruz, the opportunity has been transformative.

— dawn rhodes, chicagotribune.com, "Loyola program opens college doors for vulnerable students," 6 Aug. 2017
This connection between author and reader is profoundly personal and can be transformative.

— kimberly carroll, sandiegouniontribune.com, "The Library Shop: Keeping books alive in the digital age," 6 Aug. 2017
Like any transformative technology, the revenue opportunities in the AV space are enormous.

— chuck tannert, Popular Mechanics, "Will the Patent Wars Kill the Self-Driving Car?," 26 July 2017
Among them was Ung, the author of that transformative book, who had moved to America since the war but had spent her adult years working on Cambodia’s troubles.

— jessica diehl, HWD, "Angelina Jolie Solo," 26 July 2017
In a year when the salary cap increased by 7 percent, Carr’s deal, while life changing, is closer to what should have been expected than anything transformative.

— greg bishop, The MMQB, "The NFL's Optimism Season," 26 June 2017
So this talk is gonna be an exploration of all the ways the cosmic perspective can be transformative in our lives.

— théoden janes, charlotteobserver, "Neil deGrasse Tyson: It’s your right to back Trump. Just understand the consequences.," 5 June 2017
These moments of honesty between friends can be transformative.

— amy dickinson, The Mercury News, "Ask Amy: Pastor kept my husband’s affair a secret from me," 14 May 2017
Tesla Inc. has begun taking orders for its remarkable solar roof tiles to be delivered by summer at a price point that could be transformative for the U.S. solar market.

— tom randall, star-telegram, "Tesla's solar roof pricing is cheap enough to catch fire," 10 May 2017

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