Formation1. (n.) The act of giving form or shape to anything; a forming; a shaping.
2. (n.) The manner in which a thing is formed; structure; construction; conformation; form; as, the peculiar formation of the heart.
3. (n.) A substance formed or deposited.
4. (n.) Mineral deposits and rock masses designated with reference to their origin; as, the siliceous formation about geysers; alluvial formations; marine formations.
5. (n.) A group of beds of the same age or period; as, the Eocene formation.
6. (n.) The arrangement of a body of troops, as in a square, column, etc.
Thesaurus Entries
Platonic form, Platonic idea, accumulation, acronym, acrostic, aesthetic form, allocation, allotment, anatomy, appearance, apportionment, archetype, architectonics, architecture, arrangement, array, arraying, art form, assemblage, assembly, avyayibhava, back formation, build, building, buildup, cast, casting, clipped word, close formation, collation, collocation, combination, composition, compound, concord, configuration, conformation, conjugate, constitution, construction, conversion, crafting, craftsmanship, creation, crystallization, cultivation, cut, deployment, design, development, devising, display, disposal, disposition, distribution, dvandva, dvigu, echelon, effectuation, efformation, elaboration, embodiment, endocentric compound, erection, establishment, exocentric compound, extraction, fabric, fabrication, fashion, fashioning, figuration, figure, forging, form, format, formation flying, formature, forming, formulation, foundation, founding, frame, framing, generation, genesis, genre, getup, grouping, growing, handicraft, handiwork, harmony, harvesting, impression, inauguration, inception, incorporation, inner form, installation, institution, junction, layout, lineup, machining, make, makeup, making, manufacture, manufacturing, marshaling, materialization, matrix, milling, mining, mixture, modality, mode, model, modeling, mold, molding, morphogenesis, morphogeny, order, ordering, organic structure, organism, organization, organizing, paronym, pattern, patterning, peace, physique, piecing together, placement, plan, prefabrication, preparation, processing, producing, production, proportion, prototype, putting together, quiet, quietude, raising, realization, refining, regimentation, regularity, routine, sculpture, set, set-up, setting-up, setup, shape, shaping, significant form, smelting, spoonerism, stamp, structure, structuring, style, symmetry, syneresis, syntax, synthesis, system, tatpurusha, tectonics, texture, tissue, tranquillity, turn, type, uniformity, warp and woof, weave, web, word form, workmanship