See Also: Formative(medicine)
formative(dictionary)
formative(dictionary)
formative cell(medicine)
sympathetic formative cell(medicine)

formative (iou)



formative adjective & noun. L15.
[Old French formatif, -ive or medieval Latin formativus, from format-: see FORMATION, -ATIVE.]
A. adjective.
Capable of forming or creating; serving to fashion. L15.
C. Darwin The formative organs themselves are perfect in structure.
b. Of or pertaining to formation; spec. (Archaeology, usu. Formative) = PRECLASSIC. M19.
D. Arkell The formative years of his life, between the ages of five and twelve. N. Hornby I emerged from all these formative experiences completely unformed.
Linguistics. Of an inflectional or derivative affix: used in forming words. E18.
Of tissue: capable of growth and development. L19.
b. noun. A formative element or agent. M18.
L. Bloomfield Any unanalyzable word or formative is a morpheme. J. Galsworthy That essential formative of character, east wind.
formatively adverb M17.
formativeness noun M19.