Transformative

trænzˈfɔːrmətɪv

adjectivemedium📊CommonAcademic
1 meaning2 idioms/phrases3 questions

Definitions

1

Causing or able to cause a marked change in someone or something.

trænzˈfɔːrmətɪv

adjectivepositivemedium
Academic

Causing a marked change in someone or something.

The discovery of penicillin was a transformative event in medicine.

💡 Simply: Imagine you go to summer camp, and you learn new things and become a different person. That's transformative! It's like a magical change that makes a big difference.

👶 For kids: Something that makes a big change, like turning a caterpillar into a butterfly!

More Examples

2

A transformative leader can inspire great change within an organization.

3

Reading can be a transformative experience, broadening your horizons and perspectives.

How It's Used

Education

"Transformative learning experiences can shift students' perspectives."

Social Science

"The transformative power of social movements is often underestimated."

Business

"The company's new CEO initiated transformative changes to improve efficiency."

Idioms & expressions

Transformative justice

An approach to justice that seeks to address the root causes of crime and conflict and to promote healing and rehabilitation.

"Transformative justice aims to repair harm and promote accountability through community-based solutions."

Transformative experience

An experience that profoundly alters one's perspective or understanding.

"A wilderness retreat can provide a transformative experience, connecting participants with nature and themselves."

From 'transform' (late Middle English) + '-ative' (suffix forming adjectives). 'Transform' itself comes from Latin 'transformare,' meaning 'to change the form of.'

The word 'transformative' gained popularity in the late 20th century, especially in fields like education, psychology, and business, reflecting a growing interest in personal and societal change.

Memory tip

Think of a transformer toy—it changes its shape. Transformative things change things in a big way.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"to change the form of"

transformative experiencetransformative changetransformative powertransformative leadershiptransformative effect

Common misspellings

transformativtransformitive

Usage

30%Spoken
70%Written