as in creative
having a role in deciding something's final form
a teacher who was a formative influence on generations of students
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Recent Examples of formative
Many of the major players during the formative years of psychedelia and jam-rock during the 1960s and ‘70s had bluegrass somewhere in their foundation — Grateful Dead, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Moby Grape.
—
Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026
The pageant was a formative experience that provided Leachman with a $1,000 scholarship.
—Staff Author, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
About the Charlotte Rail Trail Bridge project When the Blue Line was in its formative phase in the late 2000s, the plan was to create a bridge from Brooklyn Village to East Morehead Street.
—Desiree Mathurin
april 29, Charlotte Observer, 29 Apr. 2026
Martínez named Crispín after his father, who was, and is, a formative presence for him.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for formative
Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026
The pageant was a formative experience that provided Leachman with a $1,000 scholarship.
—Staff Author, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
About the Charlotte Rail Trail Bridge project When the Blue Line was in its formative phase in the late 2000s, the plan was to create a bridge from Brooklyn Village to East Morehead Street.
—Desiree Mathurin
april 29, Charlotte Observer, 29 Apr. 2026
Martínez named Crispín after his father, who was, and is, a formative presence for him.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for formative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formative
Adjective
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Leah became chief creative officer of the niche fragrance line Skylar and was on Forbes’s 2026 30 Under 30 list for her social media reach.—
Anna Peele,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
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The creative team is not so much interested in nostalgia but feels there is a timely urgency behind revisiting the model’s life.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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Lugging one of the least productive offenses in the American League, no doubt the Royals would like to get to that same place about Caglianone — who after a puzzling day off Sunday had two doubles in KC’s 3-1 loss to Boston on Monday at Kauffman Stadium.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
19 May 2026
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The study also concluded that limiting the frequency of large meals was a more productive weight loss strategy than time-restricted eating (like intermittent fasting).—
Caitlin Beale,
Health,
19 May 2026
Adjective
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Find that ‘challenge network,’ who won’t just be the echo chamber, but will be those that question you in a constructive way.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
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Cutler also underlined the potential value of the world's two largest economies holding constructive talks.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Formative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formative. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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