formation

Primary Meanings of formation

1.	n	the act of forming or establishing something
2.	n	a particular spatial arrangement
3.	n	(geology) the geological features of the earth

Full Definitions of formation

n the act of forming or establishing something

Synonyms:: constitution, establishment, organisation, organization

Types:: show 6 types...; hide 6 types...; unionisation, unionization
act of forming labor unions; collectivisation, collectivization
the organization of a nation or economy on the basis of collectivism; communisation, communization
the organization of a nation of the basis of communism; federation
the act of constituting a political unity out of a number of separate states or colonies or provinces so that each member retains the management of its internal affairs; colonisation, colonization, settlement
the act of colonizing; the establishment of colonies; population
the act of populating (causing to live in a place)

Type of:: beginning, commencement, start
the act of starting something

n natural process that causes something to form

“the formation of gas in the intestine”

“the formation of crystals”

“the formation of pseudopods”

Types:: encrustation, incrustation
the formation of a crust; reticulation
(photography) the formation of a network of cracks or wrinkles in a photographic emulsion

Type of:: action, activity, natural action, natural process
a process existing in or produced by nature (rather than by the intent of human beings)

n the act of fabricating something in a particular shape

Synonyms:: shaping

Types:: show 6 types...; hide 6 types...; filing
the act of using a file (as in shaping or smoothing an object); forging
shaping metal by heating and hammering; metalwork, metalworking
the activity of making things out of metal in a skillful manner; granulation
the act of forming something into granules or grains; grooving, rifling
the cutting of spiral grooves on the inside of the barrel of a firearm; turning
the activity of shaping something on a lathe

Type of:: fabrication, manufacture, manufacturing
the act of making something (a product) from raw materials

n creation by mental activity

“the formation of sentences”

“the formation of memories”

Types:: affixation
formation of a word by means of an affix; prefixation
formation of a word by means of a prefix; suffixation
formation of a word by means of a suffix

Type of:: creating by mental acts
the act of creating something by thinking

n a particular spatial arrangement

Types:: show 7 types...; hide 7 types...; raster
the rectangular formation of parallel scanning lines that guide the electron beam on a television screen or a computer monitor; rig, rigging
formation of masts, spars, sails, etc., on a vessel; split
(tenpin bowling) a divided formation of pins left standing after the first bowl; Bermuda rig, Bermudan rig, Bermudian rig, Marconi rig
a rig of triangular sails for a yacht; cat rig
rig of a catboat; fore-and-aft rig
rig in which the principal sails are fore-and-aft; lateen-rig
the rig on a lateen-rigged sailing vessel

Type of:: arrangement, placement
the spatial property of the way in which something is placed

n an arrangement of people or things acting as a unit

“a defensive formation”

“a formation of planes”

Types:: show 28 types...; hide 28 types...; flight
a formation of aircraft in flight; military formation
a formation of troops; backfield
the offensive football players who line up behind the linemen; secondary
the defensive football players who line up behind the linemen; line
a formation of people or things one behind another; line
a formation of people or things one beside another; center
the middle of a military or naval formation; flank, wing
the side of military or naval formation; head
the front of a military formation or procession; rear
the back of a military formation or procession; rivet line
a line of rivets at a seam; chorus, chorus line
a body of dancers or singers who perform together; diagonal
an oblique line of squares of the same color on a checkerboard; open order
a military formation leaving enough space between ranks to allow an inspecting officer to pass; close order
a military formation for drill or marching; extended order
a military formation for skirmishing; as widely separated as the tactical situation permits; sick call, sick parade
the daily military formation at which individuals report to the medical officer as sick; Indian file, file, single file
a line of persons or things ranged one behind the other; linemen
the football players who line up on the line of scrimmage; line of march
the arrangement of people in a line for marching; line of succession
the order in which individuals are expected to succeed one another in some official position; lineup
a line of persons arranged by police for inspection or identification; picket line
a line of people acting as pickets; row
an arrangement of objects or people side by side in a line; rank
a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another; conga line
a line of people in single file performing the conga dance; trap line
a line or series of traps; queue, waiting line
a line of people or vehicles waiting for something

Type of:: arrangement
an orderly grouping (of things or persons) considered as a unit; the result of arranging

n (geology) the geological features of the earth

Synonyms:: geological formation

Examples:: Pillars of Hercules
the two promontories at the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar; according to legend they were formed by Hercules

Types:: show 76 types...; hide 76 types...; aquifer
underground bed or layer yielding groundwater for wells, springs, etc.; beach
an area of sand sloping down to the water of a sea or lake; cave
a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea; cliff, drop, drop-off
a steep high face of rock; delta
a low triangular area of alluvial deposits where a river divides before entering a larger body of water; diapir
a domed rock formation where a core of rock has moved upward and pierced through the more brittle overlying strata; folium
a thin layer or stratum of (especially metamorphic) rock; foreshore
the part of the seashore between the highwater mark and the low-water mark; ice mass
a large mass of ice; lakefront
land bordering a lake; massif
a block of the earth's crust bounded by faults and shifted to form peaks of a mountain range; monocline
a geological formation in which all strata are inclined in the same direction; mouth
the point where a stream issues into a larger body of water; depression, natural depression
a sunken or depressed geological formation; elevation, natural elevation
a raised or elevated geological formation; oceanfront
land bordering an ocean; chain, chain of mountains, mountain chain, mountain range, range, range of mountains
a series of hills or mountains; relict
geological feature that is a remnant of a pre-existing formation after other parts have disappeared; ridge, ridgeline
a long narrow range of hills; ridge
a long narrow natural elevation on the floor of the ocean; shore
the land along the edge of a body of water; incline, side, slope
an elevated geological formation; fountain, natural spring, outflow, outpouring, spring
a natural flow of ground water; scree, talus
a sloping mass of loose rocks at the base of a cliff; mineral vein, vein
a layer of ore between layers of rock; crater, volcanic crater
a bowl-shaped geological formation at the top of a volcano; wall
a vertical (or almost vertical) smooth rock face (as of a cave or mountain); groundwater level, water level, water table
underground surface below which the ground is wholly saturated with water; arete
a sharp narrow ridge found in rugged mountains; acclivity, ascent, climb, raise, rise, upgrade
an upward slope or grade (as in a road); bank
sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water); bank, camber, cant
a slope in the turn of a road or track; the outside is higher than the inside in order to reduce the effects of centrifugal force; basin
a natural depression in the surface of the land often with a lake at the bottom of it; bed, bottom
a depression forming the ground under a body of water; bonanza
an especially rich vein of precious ore; caldera
a large crater caused by the violent explosion of a volcano that collapses into a depression; canyonside
the steeply sloping side of a canyon; cavern
a large cave or a large chamber in a cave; coast
a slope down which sleds may coast; cove
small or narrow cave in the side of a cliff or mountain; crag
a steep rugged rock or cliff; crater
a bowl-shaped depression formed by the impact of a meteorite or bomb; declension, declination, decline, declivity, descent, downslope, fall
a downward slope or bend; escarpment, scarp
a long steep slope or cliff at the edge of a plateau or ridge; usually formed by erosion; Fountain of Youth
a fountain described in folk tales as able to make people young again; geyser
a spring that discharges hot water and steam; glacier
a slowly moving mass of ice; grot, grotto
a small cave (usually with attractive features); highland, upland
elevated (e.g., mountainous) land; hill
a local and well-defined elevation of the land; hillside
the side or slope of a hill; hogback, horseback
a narrow ridge of hills; hole, hollow
a depression hollowed out of solid matter; hot spring, thermal spring
a natural spring of water at a temperature of 70 F or above; berg, iceberg
a large mass of ice floating at sea; usually broken off of a polar glacier; ice cap, icecap
a mass of ice and snow that permanently covers a large area of land (e.g., the polar regions or a mountain peak); ice field
a large flat mass of ice (larger than an ice floe) floating at sea; floe, ice floe
a flat mass of ice (smaller than an ice field) floating at sea; lakeshore, lakeside
the shore of a lake; lowland
low level country; maar
a flat-bottomed volcanic crater that was formed by an explosion; often filled with water; mount, mountain
a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill; mountainside, versant
the side or slope of a mountain; piedmont
a gentle slope leading from the base of a mountain to a region of flat land; plage
the beach at a seaside resort; precipice
a very steep cliff; foreland, head, headland, promontory
a natural elevation (especially a rocky one that juts out into the sea); ridge
a long narrow natural elevation or striation; coast, sea-coast, seacoast, seashore
the shore of a sea or ocean; sink, sinkhole, swallow hole
a depression in the ground communicating with a subterranean passage (especially in limestone) and formed by solution or by collapse of a cavern roof; ski slope
a snow-covered slope for skiing; strand
a poetic term for a shore (as the area periodically covered and uncovered by the tides); swell
a rounded elevation (especially one on an ocean floor); deep, oceanic abyss, trench
a long steep-sided depression in the ocean floor; trough
a narrow depression (as in the earth or between ocean waves or in the ocean bed); vale, valley
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river

Type of:: object, physical object
a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow

Primary Meanings of formation

n the act of forming or establishing something

n natural process that causes something to form

n the act of fabricating something in a particular shape

n creation by mental activity

n a particular spatial arrangement

n an arrangement of people or things acting as a unit

n (geology) the geological features of the earth

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formation

Primary Meanings of formation

n the act of forming or establishing something

n natural process that causes something to form

n the act of fabricating something in a particular shape

n creation by mental activity

n a particular spatial arrangement

n an arrangement of people or things acting as a unit

n (geology) the geological features of the earth

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