Meaning & use

shaping

noun·Academic

The process of giving something a particular form, or of influencing how it develops.

See it in a sentence

The shaping of the clay took hours of careful, patient work at the wheel.

Early childhood experiences play a major role in shaping a person's personality.

A note on using this word

Shaping is commonly used figuratively for influencing development, as in 'shaping public opinion,' not just physically forming objects.

Words with a similar meaning

formingmolding

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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