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
The sisters grew up in Jamaica and spent formative years elsewhere in the Caribbean, traveling island to island—a childhood that broadened their palates and sensibilities.
—
Gina Pace, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Kelsie Whitmore was born at Sharp Memorial Hospital and spent her formative years locally before moving to Temecula.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2025
There have always been outliers, though, even in the game’s formative years.
—James Wallace, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
Kirk spent around five formative years in Chicago, living just off Ashland and studying at the Theatre School at DePaul University alongside Judy Greer and then working in Chicago’s storefront scene in the late 1990s, founding a company called Saint Ed at the Chopin Theatre in Wicker Park.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for formative
Gina Pace, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Kelsie Whitmore was born at Sharp Memorial Hospital and spent her formative years locally before moving to Temecula.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2025
There have always been outliers, though, even in the game’s formative years.
—James Wallace, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
Kirk spent around five formative years in Chicago, living just off Ashland and studying at the Theatre School at DePaul University alongside Judy Greer and then working in Chicago’s storefront scene in the late 1990s, founding a company called Saint Ed at the Chopin Theatre in Wicker Park.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for formative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formative
Adjective
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Still, Target is taking aim at its biggest problem, and given the declining fortunes of this classic American brand, that alone constitutes a creative step in the right direction.—
Dan Gingiss,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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From a creative perspective, who was the better playwright, Inchbald the professional or Austen, who merely played around at it in her fiction?—
Emily Zarevich,
JSTOR Daily,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The Phillies have discovered a productive unit by cutting their most expensive outfielder’s playing time and rallying around three guys who are probably still platoon players but are making the most of every chance.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
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As for jobs in programming, a field that’s already faced changes thanks to the new tech, Altman noted that AI tools have made coders far more productive, but the long-term impact is still unclear.—
Jessica Coacci,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Americans can channel the collective agony and frustration to encourage meaningful change, cooling down the division, making gun laws safer, opening genuinely constructive discussions, informing the public about the risks and calling on lawmakers to take real action.—
Arash Javanbakht,
The Conversation,
15 Sep. 2025
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For leaders, these signals should prompt constructive conversations about the importance of switching off.—
Alliance Manchester Business School,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Formative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formative. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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