Synonyms of formative

formative

adjective

ˈfȯr-mə-tiv 

as in creative

having a role in deciding something's final form

a teacher who was a formative influence on generations of students

Synonyms & Similar Words

• creative
• productive
• constructive
• causal
• influential
• consequential

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unproductive
• nonproductive
• nonconstructive

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of formative

At face value, young men exercising should not be reason to sound the alarms, and yet there is something treacherous about men in their formative years placing physical beauty as the ultimate expression of self-actualization. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 27 Aug. 2026

Whitney Houston’s powerhouse version stands alone, but Dolly’s quieter, mournful ode to her collaboration with Porter Wagoner is the artful, formative sketch to a colossal mural. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026

According to his social media, Reales Dominguez spent many of his formative years in Oakland and eventually made his way to Castlemont. — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 20 Aug. 2026

The duo’s bond was irrevocably broken during Thomas’s formative years in large part due to Alfred’s deeply unstable and emotionally taxing profession. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026