as in creative
having a role in deciding something's final form
a teacher who was a formative influence on generations of students
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Recent Examples of formative
Rocketship’s founder, David Reske, was a California kid who spent many of his formative years in Texas.
—
David Glickman, Pitchfork, 27 Mar. 2026
Frazier, who spent his formative years in Philadelphia, ran up museum steps as part of his training, just like the fictional Balboa.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 26 Mar. 2026
Webb played football and basketball during his formative ages, but around the crucial age of 13, his play on the travel circuit convinced him that baseball provided a passion and purpose.
—Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
Our earliest and most formative experience with the problem of other people is the sibling relationship.
—Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for formative
David Glickman, Pitchfork, 27 Mar. 2026
Frazier, who spent his formative years in Philadelphia, ran up museum steps as part of his training, just like the fictional Balboa.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 26 Mar. 2026
Webb played football and basketball during his formative ages, but around the crucial age of 13, his play on the travel circuit convinced him that baseball provided a passion and purpose.
—Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
Our earliest and most formative experience with the problem of other people is the sibling relationship.
—Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for formative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formative
Adjective
-
The home here is a ramshackle London town house where a famed painter, Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen), is spending his final years in a haze of creative stagnation and lingering renown.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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Invest wisely, and honor your creative joy.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But the teams entered the second half tied at 54-54, after nine lead changes and 10 ties, thanks largely to Boston’s effective offensive rebounding (11-3 in second-chance points) and productive scoring by Garza and Pritchard (13 first-half points apiece).—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
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The pressure is increasingly on AI developers to create systems that can turn these machines into productive workers rather than technological showcases.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Benjamin Lohr, Asia funds partner at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, struck a similarly constructive tone.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
-
So, yes, an open, constructive two-way dialogue.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Formative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formative. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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