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
Shame, especially when experienced in our formative years, has a tendency to linger.
—
Abdi Nazemian, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025
His songwriting spanned multiple decades and genres, from rock 'n' roll's formative years through television's golden age.
—Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
Eyssimont looks back on his three seasons with the Reign as being his most formative as a pro player.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
So for men raised with female role models in particular, family therapists say this relationship can be uniquely formative—and a standout quality to look for in romantic relationships.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for formative
Abdi Nazemian, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025
His songwriting spanned multiple decades and genres, from rock 'n' roll's formative years through television's golden age.
—Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
Eyssimont looks back on his three seasons with the Reign as being his most formative as a pro player.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
So for men raised with female role models in particular, family therapists say this relationship can be uniquely formative—and a standout quality to look for in romantic relationships.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for formative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formative
Adjective
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Not all of them get a New York Times article about their creative split.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
25 Sep. 2025
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As the creative director, Roxy was the one to design and decorate the cakes.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Jackson had one of the most productive games of his career at Kansas City in the 2024 opener, passing for 273 yards and rushing for 122 and pushing the Ravens to the shadow of the goal line in the final seconds.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
25 Sep. 2025
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The franchise traded up to select Fultz, who struggled to stay healthy and productive in Philadelphia.—
Grant Afseth,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Her superiors saw her as a natural choice because of her constructive relationship with Bukele during her term as ambassador.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
30 Sep. 2025
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But Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones had some constructive criticism about how the squad can improve from within on that side of the football.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Formative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formative. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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