formation
See also: Formation and formâtion
English
Etymology
From Middle English formacioun, formation, borrowed from Old French formacion, from Latin fōrmātiō, from fōrmō (“form”, verb); see form as verb.Morphologically form + -ation
Pronunciation
- Rhymes: -eɪʃən
- (US) IPA(key): /fɔɹ.ˈmeɪ.ʃən/
- (UK) IPA(key): /fə(ɹ).ˈmeɪ.ʃən/
- Hyphenation: for‧ma‧tion
Noun
formation (countable and uncountable, plural formations)
- The act of assembling a group or structure. [from 14th c.]
- 2019, VOA Learning English (public domain)
- Some cloud formation was confirmed and rainfall was observed over some islands.
Audio (US) (file)
- Some cloud formation was confirmed and rainfall was observed over some islands.
- 2019, VOA Learning English (public domain)
- Something possessing structure or form. [from 17th c.]
- The process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics. [from 18th c.]
- (military) A grouping of military units or smaller formations under a command, such as a brigade, division, wing, etc. [from 18th c.]
- (geology) A layer of rock of common origin. [from 19th c.]
- 2012, Chinle Miller, In Mesozoic Lands: The Mesozoic Geology of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Kindle edition:
- Over a broad region, the color of a formation may change.
-
- (military) An arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft, such as a wedge, line abreast, or echelon. Often "in formation".
- (sports) An arrangement of players designed to facilitate certain plays.
- 2017 May 13, Barney Ronay, “Antonio Conte’s brilliance has turned Chelsea’s pop-up team into champions”, in the Guardian:
- N'Golo Kanté embodies both sides of this, a player whose early scratchiness was soothed with glorious results in the new 3-4-3 formation, allowed simply to be his best, most wonderfully mobile, diligent, destructive self.
-
- The process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation.
- (category theory) A structure made of two categories, two functors from the first to the second category, and a transformation from one of the functors to the other.
Hyponyms
- mass formation, geologic formation
Derived terms
- back formation
- back-formation
- Christmas tree formation
- formation lap
- formation rule
- formation water
- free cell formation
- I formation
- loan formation
- missing man formation
- pattern formation
- progressive longways formation
- re-formation
- reticular formation
- rock formation
- T formation
- word formation
- word-formation
Related terms
- form
Translations
something possessing structure or form
|
act of assembling a group or structure
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process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics
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geology: rock or face of a mountain
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military: grouping of units under a command
|
military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft
|
process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation
|
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Further reading
- “formāciǒun, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
- James A. H. Murray [et al.], editors (1884–1928), “Formation”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volume IV (F–G), London: Clarendon Press, OCLC 15566697, page 464, column 1.
- formation in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- formation in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911
French
Etymology
From Old French formacion, borrowed from Latin fōrmātiō, fōrmātiōnem. Cf. also the archaic formaison.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /fɔʁ.ma.sjɔ̃/
Audio (file)
Noun
formation f (plural formations)
- formation, forming, development
- education; training
- la formation juridique ― judicial training
- Je suis gynécologue de formation. ― I'm a trainee gynecologist.
- (military)formation
Derived terms
- autoformation
Related terms
- forme
Further reading
- “formation”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Swedish
Etymology
From Latin formatio.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /fɔrmaˈɧuːn/
Noun
formation c
- formation
Declension
| Declension of formation | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | |||
| Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
| Nominative | formation | formationen | formationer | formationerna |
| Genitive | formations | formationens | formationers | formationernas |
References
- formation in Svensk ordbok (SO)