- (a.) Giving form; having the power of giving form; plastic; as, the formative arts.
- (n.) That which serves merely to give form, and is no part of the radical, as the prefix or the termination of a word.
- (a.) Capable of growth and development; germinal; as, living or formative matter.
- (a.) Serving to form; derivative; not radical; as, a termination merely formative.
- (n.) A word formed in accordance with some rule or usage, as from a root.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). formative. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/formative/definitions/2009642 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "formative" http://smartdefine.org/formative/definitions/2009642 (accessed September 22, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, formative, Smart Define, viewed 22 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/formative/definitions/2009642>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "formative" 27 May 2011. Web. 22 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/formative/definitions/2009642> |