noun · 16 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/fɔːˈmeɪʃ(ə)n/
Canada, General-American:/fɔɹˈmeɪʃ(ə)n/
Midwestern-US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australian, New-Zealand:/foːˈmæɪʃ(ə)n/
rhymes with -eɪʃən
CMU ARPABET:F AO0 R M EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The act of assembling a group or structure.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Something possessing structure or form.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A grouping of military units or smaller formations under a command, such as a brigade, division, wing, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: government, military, politics, war
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A layer of rock of common origin.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: geography, geology, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
An arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft, such as a wedge, line abreast, or echelon. Often "in formation".
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: government, military, politics, war
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
An arrangement of players designed to facilitate certain plays.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, sports
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
The process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
From Middle English formacioun, formation, borrowed from Old French formacion, from Latin fōrmātiō, from fōrmō (“form”, verb); see form as verb. Morphologically form + -ation.
Across languages
Translations
101 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
ձեւավորում
(jewavorum)
— something possessing structure or form
Armenian:
կազմավորում
(kazmavorum)
— something possessing structure or form
Bulgarian:
форма́ция
(formácija)
— something possessing structure or form
Dutch:
formatie
— something possessing structure or form
Esperanto:
formigo
— something possessing structure or form
Finnish:
muodostelma
— something possessing structure or form
Finnish:
muodostuma
— something possessing structure or form
Finnish:
-muodostus
— something possessing structure or form
Hungarian:
alakulat
— something possessing structure or form
Hungarian:
képződmény
— something possessing structure or form
Korean:
구조
(gujo)
— something possessing structure or form
Maltese:
formazzjoni
— something possessing structure or form
Polish:
formacja
— something possessing structure or form
Russian:
образова́ние
(obrazovánije)
— something possessing structure or form
Russian:
структу́ра
(struktúra)
— something possessing structure or form
Russian:
констру́кция
(konstrúkcija)
— something possessing structure or form
Swedish:
formation
— something possessing structure or form
Telugu:
నిర్మాణం
(nirmāṇaṁ)
— something possessing structure or form
Ottoman Turkish:
یاپی
(yapı)
— something possessing structure or form
Armenian:
ձեւավորում
(jewavorum)
— act of assembling a group or structure
Armenian:
կազմավորում
(kazmavorum)
— act of assembling a group or structure
Belarusian:
будава́нне
(budavánnje)
— act of assembling a group or structure
Bulgarian:
форми́ране
(formírane)
— act of assembling a group or structure
Bulgarian:
образу́ване
(obrazúvane)
— act of assembling a group or structure
Dutch:
formatie
— act of assembling a group or structure
Finnish:
muodostaminen
— act of assembling a group or structure
Finnish:
muodostus
— act of assembling a group or structure
German:
Bildung
— act of assembling a group or structure
Hungarian:
képződés
— act of assembling a group or structure
Hungarian:
kialakulás
— act of assembling a group or structure
Hungarian:
létrejövés
— act of assembling a group or structure
Hungarian:
megalakulás
— act of assembling a group or structure
Hungarian:
-alakulás
— act of assembling a group or structure
Indonesian:
formasi
— act of assembling a group or structure
Indonesian:
pembentukan
— act of assembling a group or structure
Korean:
조립
(jorip)
— act of assembling a group or structure
Latvian:
veidošana
— act of assembling a group or structure
Malay:
pembentukan
— act of assembling a group or structure
Maltese:
formazzjoni
— act of assembling a group or structure
Norman:
faîs'sie
— act of assembling a group or structure
Polish:
utworzenie
— act of assembling a group or structure
Polish:
formacja
— act of assembling a group or structure
Russian:
образова́ние
(obrazovánije)
— act of assembling a group or structure
Russian:
формирова́ние
(formirovánije)
— act of assembling a group or structure
Russian:
созда́ние
(sozdánije)
— act of assembling a group or structure
Tagalog:
sabuo
— act of assembling a group or structure
Telugu:
ఏర్పాటు
(ērpāṭu)
— act of assembling a group or structure
Turkish:
şekillendirme
— act of assembling a group or structure
Turkish:
ifrağ
— act of assembling a group or structure
Arabic:
تَشَكُّل
(tašakkul)
— process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics
Azerbaijani:
təşəkkül
— process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics
Azerbaijani:
formalaşma
— process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics
Hungarian:
kialakítás
— process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics
Hungarian:
megalakítás
— process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics
Hungarian:
létrehozás
— process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics
Hungarian:
-alkotás
— process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics
Hungarian:
-képzés
— process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics
Polish:
formacja
— process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics
Armenian:
կազմավորում
(kazmavorum)
— geology: rock or face of a mountain
Azerbaijani:
törəmə
— geology: rock or face of a mountain
Dutch:
rotsformatie
— geology: rock or face of a mountain
Finnish:
muodostuma
— geology: rock or face of a mountain
Hungarian:
képződmény
— geology: rock or face of a mountain
Hungarian:
formáció
— geology: rock or face of a mountain
Korean:
지층
(jicheung)
— geology: rock or face of a mountain
Polish:
formacja
— geology: rock or face of a mountain
Russian:
форма́ция
(formácija)
— geology: rock or face of a mountain
Vietnamese:
thành hệ
— geology: rock or face of a mountain
Arabic:
تَشْكِيلَة
(taškīla)
— military: grouping of units under a command
Bulgarian:
форма́ция
(formácija)
— military: grouping of units under a command
Dutch:
formatie
— military: grouping of units under a command
Esperanto:
formacio
— military: grouping of units under a command
Finnish:
muodostelma
— military: grouping of units under a command
Hungarian:
alakulat
— military: grouping of units under a command
Irish:
fíor
— military: grouping of units under a command
Korean:
편대
(pyeondae)
— military: grouping of units under a command
Polish:
formacja
— military: grouping of units under a command
Russian:
формирова́ние
(formirovánije)
— military: grouping of units under a command
Arabic:
تَشْكِيلَة
(taškīla)
— military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft
Bulgarian:
строй
(stroj)
— military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft
Dutch:
formatie
— military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft
Finnish:
muodostelma
— military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft
Ancient Greek:
παράταξις
(parátaxis)
— military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft
Hungarian:
alakzat
— military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft
Indonesian:
formasi
— military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft
Irish:
fíor
— military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft
Korean:
대형
(daehyeong)
— military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft
Korean:
진형
(jinhyeong)
— military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft
Malay:
formasi
— military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft
Norwegian:
formasjon
— military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft
Polish:
formacja
— military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft
Russian:
строй
(stroj)
— military: arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft
Dutch:
vorming
— process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation
Finnish:
koulutus
— process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation
Hungarian:
pályaorientáció
— process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation
Indonesian:
formasi
— process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation
Latvian:
izglītība
— process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation
Portuguese:
formação
— process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation
Russian:
образова́ние
(obrazovánije)
— process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation
Russian:
обуче́ние
(obučénije)
— process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation
Swedish:
forma
— process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation
