formative

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   strongly influencing the development of a person, idea, or thing

   Her formative years in three countries shaped her sense of language.

2. 2
   adj

   used to guide learning while it is still in progress

   The teacher gave formative feedback before the final essay was due.

3. 3
   noun

   a linguistic element that helps form a word or grammatical unit

   The suffix is a formative that turns the verb into a noun.

From Middle English formatyve, via Old French and Medieval Latin formativus, from Latin formare (to form, shape) plus -ive.

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