# formation
## English
### 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

### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /fɔːˈmeɪʃən/
* (General American, Canada) IPA: /fɔɹˈmeɪʃən/
* (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA: /foːˈmæɪʃən/
* Audio (General American):(file)
* Hyphenation: for‧ma‧tion
* Rhymes: -eɪʃən

### Noun

formation (countable and uncountable, plural formations)
* The act of assembling a group or structure. [from 14th c.]
** 2019, VOA Learning English (public domain)
    Some cloud formation was confirmed and rainfall was observed over some islands.
       Audio (US):(file)
* Something possessing structure or form. [from 17th c.]
* The process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics. [from 18th c.]
* (military) A grouping of military units or smaller formations under a command, such as a brigade, division, wing, etc. [from 18th c.]
* (geology) A layer of rock of common origin. [from 19th c.]
** 2012, Chinle Miller, In Mesozoic Lands: The Mesozoic Geology of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Kindle edition:Over a broad region, the color of a formation may change.
* (military) An arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft, such as a wedge, line abreast, or echelon. Often "in formation".
* (sports) An arrangement of players designed to facilitate certain plays.
** 2017 May 13, Barney Ronay, “Antonio Conte’s brilliance has turned Chelsea’s pop-up team into champions”, in the Guardian‎: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.
* The process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation.
* (category theory) 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.

#### Hyponyms

* mass formation, geologic formation

#### Derived terms

* A formation
* back-formation
* back formation
* Christmas tree formation
* electroformation
* formational
* formation exposure time
* formation lap
* formation rule
* formation water
* free cell formation
* geoformation
* gust formation time
* I formation
* loan formation
* malformation
* microformation
* misformation
* missing man formation
* neoformation
* nonformation
* osteoformation
* pattern formation
* postformation
* preformation
* progressive longways formation
* re-formation
* reticular formation
* rock formation
* subformation
* T formation
* unformation
* word formation

#### Related terms

* form

#### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

#### Further reading

* “formāciǒun, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
* James A. H. Murray et al., editors (1884–1928), “Formation”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volume IV (F–G), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 464, column 1.
* “formation”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
* William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “formation”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

## French
### Etymology

Inherited from Old French formacion, borrowed from Latin fōrmātiōnem. Cf. also the archaic formaison.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /fɔʁ.ma.sjɔ̃/
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

formation f (plural formations)
* formation, forming, development
* education; training
    la formation juridique ― judicial training
    Je suis gynécologue de formation. ― I'm a trainee gynecologist.
* (military) formation

#### Derived terms

* autoformation

#### Related terms

* forme

#### Descendants

* → Dutch: formatie

### Further reading

* “formation”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

## Swedish
### Etymology

From Latin formatio.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /fɔrmaˈɧuːn/

### Noun

formation c
* formation

#### Declension
### References

* formation in Svensk ordbok (SO)