Definition Synonyms
Definition of formation - Reverso English Dictionary
Noun
1.
creationthe action of forming or process of being formed
- The formation of ice occurs below zero degrees Celsius..
2.
resultsomething that is formed
- The formation of the cake was perfect.
3.
arrangementmanner in which something is arranged
- The formation of the chairs was circular.
4.
militaryTECH. grouping of military units under a commandTECH.
- The formation moved towards the enemy lines.
5.
sportsTECH. arrangement of players for certain playsTECH.
- The team practiced their defensive formation.
6.
geologyTECH. layer of rock of common originTECH.
- The geologist studied the rock formation closely.
Images of formation

layer of rock of common origin
Expressions with formation
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
maintain a structured arrangement while flying
The geese fly in formation during migration.
pattern of birds flying together
The geese flew in a V-shaped flight formation.
arranged or moving with little space between members
The birds flew in close formation above the lake.
moving or standing in a planned group arrangement
The planes flew in formation across the sky.
act of improving institutions or practices
The reformation of the education system was necessary.
visible group or pattern of clouds in the sky
We saw a beautiful cloud formation glowing red at sunset.
process in which political leaders create a new ruling administration
Government formation lasted weeks after the closely contested election.
the process of birds forming a couple
Pair formation in birds is crucial for mating.
distinctive shape formed by rocks
We admired the rock formation on the hiking trail.
natural process where the body creates and hardens new bone tissue
Calcium and vitamin D are important for healthy bone formation in children.
process of officially creating a new company or other commercial organization
They hired a lawyer to handle the business formation paperwork.
legal and administrative process of creating and registering a new business
They hired a lawyer to handle the company formation paperwork.
lap before a race to warm up cars
The drivers completed the formation lap before the race started.
natural structure formed by geological processes
The Grand Canyon is a famous geological formation.
process in which market forces decide how much goods or services cost
Regulation can significantly affect price formation in energy markets.
process of creating new words in a language
Word formation in English often involves prefixes and suffixes..
dance with couples in specific patterns
The team practiced their formation dance for the competition.
expression translated literally from another language
The term 'skyscraper' is a calque formation from French.
energy change when one mole of a compound forms from its elements
The heat of formation for water indicates how much energy is released or absorbed..
arrangement of troops for tactical purposes
The commander ordered a new military formation for the attack.
process of creating and transforming racial categories
Racial formation is influenced by political and social factors.
psychological defense mechanism hiding true feelings
His kindness was a reaction formation against his anger.
process of forming new words by removing affixes
Back-formation often results in new verbs from nouns.
process of increasing long-term assets through saving and investment
High levels of capital formation can support faster economic growth.
Origin of formation
Latin, formare (to form)
Terms with formation included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
natural formation
large underground chamber formed naturally
alignment
in a straight or orderly formation
formation
forming or capable of forming or molding
group formation
form a group for sports or work
formation
in a line one person wide
word formation
game involving forming or altering words
circle
circular object or formation
formation process
formation of a whole from separate parts
troop formation
military group that is part of an army
formation
form clusters or lumps
formation
form the whole of something
separation
gradually separate from a group or formation
ice formation
ice forms on grass and objects in freezing conditions
movement
separate from a group or formation
crowd control
formation of officers to control crowds
formation
arrange in three rows or layers
formation
develop into a distinctive entity
disorder
group no longer in formation or order
team game
formation where rugby players pack closely to restart play
numbers
in a formation ten units deep
formation
group of flying birds or aircraft
natural formation
small body of still water
geology
natural arch-shaped rock formation
idea
the formation of an idea in the mind
Examples of formation in a sentence
The formation of the committee took several weeks. A strange cloud formation appeared over the hills. The rock formation attracts many hikers. The dancers stood in a triangle formation. The rocks were arranged in a neat formation. The general ordered the formation to advance.
Each formation was strategically positioned for the drill. They switched to an offensive formation after halftime. The coach designed a new formation for the upcoming game. The formation was rich in fossils. They discovered a new formation in the canyon.
View all translations of formation
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:formation, forme, ...
- German:Bildung, Gebilde, ...
- Italian:formazione, forma, ...
- Spanish:formación, configuración, ...
- Portuguese:formação, configuração, ...
- Chinese:生成, 成品, ...
- Japanese:形成, 形状, ...
- Arabic:تَكْوِين, تَشَكُّل, ...
- Hebrew:הִתְהַוּוּת, תְּצוּרָה, ...
- Russian:образование, расположение, ...
- Ukrainian:утворення, форма, ...
- Hindi:गठन, रचना, ...
icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.
icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.
icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the