Meaning & use
formation
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Meanings
noununcountable
The process by which something starts to exist or takes shape.
Grammar: Usually followed by of: the formation of a new party.
Patterns
- the formation of something
The formation of ice crystals takes several hours.
Historians study the formation of the new government.
Cloud formation depends on warm, moist air.
nouncountable
A group of people or things arranged in a set pattern.
Grammar: Countable: planes flying in formation; two formations of soldiers.
Patterns
- in formation
- a V-shaped formation
The geese flew south in a V formation.
The marching band moved into a new formation.
The team used a defensive formation for the whole match.
nouncountabletechnical
A natural structure, especially of rock, produced over a long period of time.
Grammar: Often used with rock or geological names: a rock formation.
Patterns
- a rock formation
- a limestone formation
The hikers admired the strange rock formations.
Caves often contain impressive stone formations.
The canyon is a famous geological formation.
Word forms
| plural | formations |
|---|
Common combinations
- in formation
- The jets flew in formation over the stadium.
- rock formation
- A rock formation shaped like a bridge stood by the sea.
- the formation of a government
- The formation of a government took months.
- cloud formation
- Cloud formation was visible from the plane window.
- battle formation
- The army took up battle formation.
Synonyms and how they differ
- creation
- Creation suggests that someone or something makes the thing, while formation often describes a gradual natural process.
- arrangement
- Arrangement is broader and can mean any ordering, while formation implies a pattern with a clear shape.
- structure
- Structure refers to the finished thing, while formation can be the process leading to it.
- development
- Development implies growth over time and change, not just coming into being.
Opposites
Word family
- form verb
- to make or take shape
- formative adjective
- important in shaping development, as in formative years
- reformation noun
- a major change or improvement
- deformation noun
- a change that spoils the shape of something
Commonly confused: formation or information?
formation vs information
Information is knowledge or facts. Formation is about shape, arrangement or the process of forming.
Practice
The pilots flew in a tight ___ over the city.
Choose one answer.
Planes fly in formation, meaning in a set pattern. The other nouns look similar but do not describe an arrangement of aircraft.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “formation”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.