Word
formative
Formative describes something that strongly influences how someone or something develops.
Meanings
Having a strong influence on how someone’s character, beliefs, or abilities develop, especially early on.
Helping something develop into a particular form or state; shaping the development of a process or system.
Used to describe assessment and feedback that happen during learning to improve performance before the final evaluation.
Definition
Formative refers to experiences, periods, or influences that shape a person’s character, ideas, or abilities. It is often used for early stages of life, education, or a process when important development happens. It can also describe assessment or feedback used to improve learning while it is still in progress.
Examples
- Her formative years were spent in a small coastal town.
- Reading those novels was a formative experience for him.
- The coach played a formative role in her career.
- We use formative assessment to adjust teaching during the course.
- The early design meetings were formative for the final product.
Common mistake
Learners sometimes use formative to mean 'informative' (giving information), but formative means 'shaping development.'
More adjectives
- agnostic An agnostic is someone who does not claim to know whether God exists.
- pragmatic Pragmatic means focused on practical results rather than ideals or theories.
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- cynical Cynical describes believing that people are mainly motivated by self-interest and not sincere.
- apathetic Apathetic means showing little or no interest, concern, or enthusiasm.