formation

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   creation by mental activity

   the formation of sentences

2. 2
   noun

   an arrangement of people or things acting as a unit

   a defensive formation

3. 3
   noun

   natural process that causes something to form

   the formation of gas in the intestine

4. 4
   noun

   The act of assembling a group or structure.

   Some cloud formation was confirmed and rainfall was observed over some islands.

5. 5
   noun

   A layer of rock of common origin.

   Over a broad region, the color of a formation may change.

6. 6
   noun

   An arrangement of players designed to facilitate certain plays.

   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.

7. 7
   noun

   the act of forming or establishing something

8. 8
   noun

   the act of fabricating something in a particular shape

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.