FORMATION
constitution, establishment, formation, organization, organisation
(noun) the act of forming or establishing something; “the constitution of a PTA group last year”; “it was the establishment of his reputation”; “he still remembers the organization of the club”
formation, shaping
(noun) the act of fabricating something in a particular shape
formation
(noun) creation by mental activity; “the formation of sentences”; “the formation of memories”
formation
(noun) a particular spatial arrangement
formation
(noun) an arrangement of people or things acting as a unit; “a defensive formation”; “a formation of planes”
formation
(noun) natural process that causes something to form; “the formation of gas in the intestine”; “the formation of crystals”; “the formation of pseudopods”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
formation (countable and uncountable, plural formations)
Something possessing structure or form.
The act of assembling a group or structure.
The process during which something comes into being and gains its characteristics.
(geology) A rock or face of a mountain.
(military) A grouping of military units or smaller formations under a command, such as a brigade, division, wing, etc.
Synonyms: battle group, brigade group, task force, combat team
(military) An arrangement of moving troops, ships, or aircraft, such as a wedge, line abreast, or echelon. Often "in formation".
Synonyms: tactical formation, battle formation
(sports) An arrangement of players designed to facilitate certain plays.
The process of influencing or guiding a person to a deeper understanding of a particular vocation.
(category theory) A structure made of two categories, two functors from the first to the second category, and a transformation from one of the functors to the other.
Source: Wiktionary
For*ma"tion, n. Etym: [L. formatio: cf. F. formation.]
1. The act of giving form or shape to anything; a forming; a shaping.
Beattie.
2. The manner in which a thing is formed; structure; construction;
conformation; form; as, the peculiar formation of the heart.
3. A substance formed or deposited.
4. (Geol.)
(a) Mineral deposits and rock masses designated with reference to
their origin; as, the siliceous formation about geysers; alluvial
formations; marine formations.
(b) A group of beds of the same age or period; as, the Eocene
formation.
5. (Mil.)
Definition: The arrangement of a body of troops, as in a square, column,
etc. Farrow.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition