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formation
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
formation
noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a rock formation
▪ There are marvellous views of impressive rock formations.
back formation
cloud formation (=the shape in which cloud forms)
▪ There are many different types of cloud formation.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
capital
▪ Investment in coastal shipping yet again reveals how local the process of capital formation in transport was.
▪ They were not accounted for in private consumption expenditure, general government expenditure, or domestic capital formation.
▪ This does not mean that the pace of innovation and of capital formation in the eighteenth-century economy were negligible.
▪ This obviously is not an especially efficient way to promote capital formation.
▪ The obvious concern is to facilitate capital formation and to channel it into sectors and areas capable of using it most efficiently.
▪ Moreover, the empirical evidence on the effect of egalitarianism on capital formation is uncertain.
▪ But how is it possible to reconcile a variable rate of capital formation with a fixed stock of capital?
▪ In everyday economic discourse, nothing is more frequently taken as an index of economic growth than the volume of capital formation.
cultural
▪ The sociology of such developments is at a different and much broader level than that of cultural formations.
▪ The cultural formation processes discussed in Chapter 2 all have to be taken into account in any assessment of this question.
▪ Many cultural formations have of course been restricted in this way.
▪ It was within this crisis of the broader social formation that the particular cultural formation of the circle around Godwin became significant.
▪ The cultural formation we know as Bloomsbury is very different from both.
▪ The remainder of this chapter is devoted to a more detailed discussion of the different cultural and natural formation processes.
political
▪ In the years since then, antiracists have become a discrete and self contained political formation.
rock
▪ The canyon walls, rock formations and spires on the rim looked surreal, like a backdrop in a movie set.
▪ Artesian wells are drilled into rock formations that contain pressurized water.
▪ Fantastic rock formations, beautiful mesquite forests and deep grass all hide in the heart of the range.
social
▪ This capitalist thrust was within a largely pre-capitalist social formation.
▪ Second, the activities to be considered work must be present in all social formations.
▪ The content and form of social and economic formations along with institutions can not be properly investigated by projecting preconceived notions.
▪ A second concern 15 to examine petty commerce in the context of various modes of production in capitalist social formations.
▪ This more complex account of the process of levels of social formation interacting is reminiscent of Althusser's theory of overdetermination.
▪ It is also designed to allow causal analysis of the basic dynamics of any social formation.
▪ He sees the trajectory of his industrial social formation in contradiction to meeting fundamental human and social needs.
■ NOUN
cloud
▪ Some theorists even believe that solar wind particles hitting the atmosphere may trigger cloud formation.
▪ Mountains stretched as far as my eyes could see, until the next cloud formation.
▪ However, a minority of features may be the result of waves which influence cloud formation as they move through the atmosphere.
household
▪ Changing patterns of household formation are normally taken into account, as this factor can also affect results.
▪ Recommends more research on the impact of economic and social factors on household formation.
▪ The post-war period has also been characterized by very profound changes in family and household formation patterns.
▪ The household formation pattern of women over 80 is quite different from that of all elderly persons as Figure 6 illustrates.
▪ However, Bramley et al concluded that the principal determinants of household formation and growth remained demographic and social.
memory
▪ If one can discover which protein is missing, then one has a clue to its necessary role in memory formation.
▪ Elevated muscarinic receptor seemed therefore to be associated with the early phases of memory formation.
policy
▪ What is characteristic of both locales is the de-democratization of policy formation and implementation.
▪ To a large extent, initiative in policy formation is centered in the chief executive.
▪ These differences are inevitable given the distinct economic, political and professional contexts of such policy formation.
▪ Instead of the central board of directors foisting decisions on unwilling parties, policy formation reflects endless bargaining between diverse competing interests.
▪ They will retain a significant role through the party machinery in policy formation.
▪ Moreover, top civil servants are not only involved in policy formation.
▪ In addition, the role of higher levels in industrial relations policy formation will be explored.
▪ However, some delegates feared ordinary members would have even less influence on policy formation if the conference voting system was altered.
stone
▪ Many studies suggest that sludge formation is a marker of gall stone formation.
▪ Hyperuricosuria, with or without hypercalciuria, occurs in 10 to 20 percent of patients with calcium stone formation.
▪ In pregnancy and obesity, increased fasting and postprandial residual gall bladder volumes are associated with increased risk of gall stone formation.
▪ It is thought that uric acid crystals serve as a nidus for calcium oxalate crystallization resulting in subsequent stone formation.
▪ In patients in whom the procedure is successful 4.4-9.8% will develop bile duct stenosis, new stone formation or both.
▪ In these Patients, reduction of urate excretion reduces stone formation.
▪ At present, we do not know how smoking might promote either gall stone formation or the development of symptoms.
▪ It is too early to establish whether recurrent stone formation after percutaneous cholecystolithotomy differs from other non-operative treatments.
■ VERB
announce
▪ Bosnia's five-member presidency has announced the formation of a republican army after assuming emergency powers to prepare a co-ordinated defence.
▪ It also announced the formation of a second sales team.
▪ It had been announced that the formation would be led by Capt.
▪ On Oct. 18, Djohar announced the formation of a new government.
▪ A day later the War Department and the army announced the formation of a squadron for black cadets.
▪ Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir announced the formation of an appointed transitional parliament to pave the way for democracy.
encourage
▪ Despite an immediate reprimand from Chamorro, Godoy's statements during the strike reportedly encouraged the formation of right-wing armed groups.
▪ White fluorescent light increases the rate of growth of this plant while apparently not encouraging unwanted algae formation.
▪ To this extent the region was actually encouraging the formation of richer peasant strata at the expense of the poorer.
▪ Belfast Action Team said agencies would answer queries and encourage the formation of residents' groups to involve them in decision-making.
▪ It encourages the formation of farmer cooperatives and advances them loans for irrigation pumps.
fly
▪ The spitfire, for instance, is part of a squadron of similar aircraft, flying in formation.
▪ They do anything but fly in formation.
▪ When you fly formation, try to find your own reference points for every possible position.
▪ One of 16 pilots flying in the formation dropped out, and she was the only person available to fill in.
▪ Pilots consulted by New Times say a group of planes flying in formation at night suggests military aircraft.
involve
▪ Moreover, top civil servants are not only involved in policy formation.
lead
▪ First, there is the actual death or separation leading to the formation of the majority of such families.
▪ It raised consciousness about historic preservation, and led to the formation of the numerous historic districts that today ring the downtown.
▪ The ongoing practice of self-defeating organizational behavior patterns leads ineluctably to the formation of what we call a self-defeating organizational character.
▪ Painful events in later life can also lead to the formation of blocks.
▪ It led to the formation of a crust and eventually the continents.
▪ This would lead to the formation of galaxies, stars, and eventually even insignificant creatures like ourselves.
prevent
▪ The great body of water remains at a uniform 5.6 o C throughout the winter, which prevents the formation of ice.
▪ Gentle agitation of the acid, and slight tilting of the face prevents the formation of bubble trains which trench the surface.
▪ So water softeners are added to washing powders to prevent its formation.
result
▪ It is thought that uric acid crystals serve as a nidus for calcium oxalate crystallization resulting in subsequent stone formation.
▪ In many industries, and not only in the United States, mergers resulted in the formation of giant companies.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ Formations of tanks were lined up along the border.
▪ Astronomers were able to observe a galaxy still in the process of formation.
▪ the natural rock formations of Bryce Canyon
▪ The players lined up in a T formation.
▪ Three small planes flying in formation collided this afternoon, killing four people.
▪ Yeltsin organized the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ And even within a single formation the relations between instances are for ever changing.
▪ However, a minority of features may be the result of waves which influence cloud formation as they move through the atmosphere.
▪ Looking up, I saw a formation of six Wellington bombers passing over at 4, 000 meters.
▪ This capitalist thrust was within a largely pre-capitalist social formation.
▪ Within the squad we got a number that referred to our position in the formation.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Formation

Formation \For*ma"tion\ (f[o^]r*m[=a]"sh[u^]n), n. [L. formatio: cf. F. formation.]

  1. The act of giving form or shape to anything; a forming; a shaping.
    --Beattie.

  2. The manner in which a thing is formed; structure; construction; conformation; form; as, the peculiar formation of the heart.

  3. A substance formed or deposited.

  4. (Geol.)

    1. Mineral deposits and rock masses designated with reference to their origin; as, the siliceous formation about geysers; alluvial formations; marine formations.

    2. A group of beds of the same age or period; as, the Eocene formation.

  5. (Mil.) The arrangement of a body of troops, as in a square, column, etc.
    --Farrow.

Related phrases:
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
formation

late 14c., "vital force in plants and animals;" early 15c., "act of creating or making," from Old French formacion "formation, fashioning, creation" (12c.) or directly from Latin formationem (nominative formatio) "a forming, shaping," noun of action or condition from past participle stem of formare "to form," from forma (see form (n.)). Meaning that which is formed or created" is from 1640s. In geology, "group of rocks having a similar origin or character," 1815. Related: Formational.

Wiktionary
formation

n. 1 Something possessing structure or form. 2 The act of assembling a group or structure. 3 (context geology English) A rock or face of a mountain. 4 (context military English) A grouping of military units or smaller formations under a command, such as a brigade, division, wing, etc. 5 (context military English) An arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft, such as a wedge, line abreast, or echelon. Often "in formation". 6 The process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation.

Related phrases:
WordNet
formation

  1. n. an arrangement of people or things acting as a unit; "a defensive formation"; "a formation of planes"

  2. a particular spatial arrangement

  3. the fabrication of something in a particular shape [syn: shaping]

  4. the act of forming something; "the constitution of a PTA group last year"; "it was the establishment of his reputation"; "he still remembers the organization of the club" [syn: constitution, establishment, organization, organisation]

  5. (geology) the geological features of the earth [syn: geological formation]

  6. natural process that causes something to form; "the formation of gas in the intestine"; "the formation of crystals"; "the formation of pseudopods"

  7. creation by mental activity; "the formation of sentences"; "the formation of memories"

Related phrases:
Wikipedia
Formation (association football)

In association football, the formation describes how the players in a team are positioned on the pitch. Different formations can be used depending on whether a team wishes to play more attacking or defensive football.

Formations are used in both professional and amateur football matches. Skill and discipline on the part of the players is also needed to implement a given formation effectively in professional football. Formations need to be chosen bearing in mind which players are available. Some of the formations below were created to address deficits or strengths in different types of players.

Formation

Formation may refer to:

  • Formation flying, aerobatics performed with several aircraft
  • Formation (military), a high-level military organization
  • Tactical formation, the physical deployment of military forces
Formation (American football)

A formation in American football refers to the position players line up in before the start of a down. There are both offensive and defensive formations and there are many formations in both categories. Also

Formation (group theory)

In mathematical group theory, a formation is a class of groups closed under taking images and such that if G/M and G/N are in the formation then so is G/M∩N. introduced formations to unify the theory of Hall subgroups and Carter subgroups of finite solvable groups.

Some examples of formations are the formation of p-groups for a prime p, the formation of π-groups for a set of primes π, and the formation of nilpotent groups.

Formation (Catholic)

Formation is the personal preparation that the Catholic Church offers to people with a defined mission, such as the priesthood or membership of a religious order such as the Society of Jesus. Such formation involves a program of spiritual and academic training. In the case of priestly formation, the typical location concerned is the seminary either operated by a Diocese for the purposes of training Diocesan or Secular clergy or operated by a religious order for the purpose of preparing its members for priestly ordination.

Formation (song)

"Formation" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé for her sixth studio album Lemonade (2016). It was written by Khalif Brown, Jordan Frost, Asheton Hogan, Mike Will Made It and Beyoncé and produced by the latter two alongside Pluss. It served as the album's lead single, released on February 6, 2016 through Parkwood Entertainment. Music critics deemed it as Beyoncé's most political song.

The song's accompanying music video, directed by Melina Matsoukas premiered on the same day as the song itself through Beyoncé's official YouTube account. It received mixed response for its alleged anti-police stance, which the singer denied, in addition to controversy over documentary footage used in the video. However, some critics praised its depiction of African-Americans not frequently seen in mainstream media. In order to promote the song, Beyoncé performed it during her guest appearance at the Super Bowl 50 halftime show the day after its premiere. Throughout 2016, Beyoncé launched her The Formation World Tour which was named in reference to the song.

Related phrases:

Usage examples of "formation".

At the broad window, a few of the green priests were still talking with each other, pointing at rock formations.

Iraqi intelligence sources reported that Iranian forces in Khuzestan, which had formerly included two divisions distributed among Ahvaz, Dezful, and Abadan, now consisted of only a number of ill-equipped battalion-sized formations.

The people of Massachusetts were to have the sole and exclusive right of governing themselves, and in an article intended to prevent the formation of a hereditary monarchy, an expanded version of a similar article in the Virginia constitution, Adams wrote: No man, nor corporation or association of men have any other title to obtain advantages or particular and exclusive privileges distinct from those of the community, than what arises from the consideration of services rendered to the public.

As at Talana Hill, regimental formation was largely gone, and men of the Manchesters, Gordons, and Imperial Light Horse surged upwards in one long ragged fringe, Scotchman, Englishman, and British Africander keeping pace in that race of death.

From some high ground affording a wide panoramic view Agassiz would explain to them the formation of lakes, islands, rivers, springs, water -sheds, hills, and valleys.

In 1857, an American named Collins came forward with a scheme for the formation of an Amur Railway Company, to lay a line from Irkutsk to Chita.

The three angelfish were already falling behind as they swam in stately formation toward the floating mountains that dominated the distant horizon.

At the head of this formation rode a small group of Ansar on fine Arab steeds, which had been lovingly curried until their hides shone in the sunlight like polished metal.

The seemingly random disposition of Chinese surface ships resolved into a classic amphibious operations and antiair formation.

But it was all Archaean country of great antiquity and I had no means of knowing how Mt Coondewanna had been formed or what changes in its formation had occurred over the millennia.

Above their heads, the domed-shaped ceiling has grown rows of needlelike teeth, the limestone formations creating majestic, archlike partitions and bizarre, jagged sculptures of rock.

Before the eyes of the five companions, twinkling lights appeared, spread in an arrowpoint formation behind the first beacon.

She was an astrogeologist who had done her doctoral thesis on comet formation.

The Vatican was the first Court which recognised the erection of Tuscany into the Kingdom of Etruria, and the formation of the Helvetic, Cisalpine, and Batavian Republics.

The scene on the sea could not be more tranquil: carriers, battleships, and their screening vessels spreading as far as the eye could see in afternoon sunshine, extending below the horizon north and south, gray familiar shapes of war steaming slowly in AA formation on the mildly foaming blue ocean.