{
    "term": "formation",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "b2",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "the action of forming something; the process of being formed",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "the formation of a new government"
                },
                {
                    "text": "evidence of recent star formation in the galaxy"
                },
                {
                    "text": "This dispute led to the formation of a new breakaway group."
                },
                {
                    "text": "the top civil servants who are responsible for policy formation"
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Geography"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["policy"],
                "verb + formation": ["lead to", "result in", "prevent"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "a thing that has been formed, especially in a particular place or in a particular way",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Massive rock formations rise abruptly some 1 500 feet above the canyon floor."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Geography"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["cloud", "geological", "rock"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "a particular arrangement or pattern",
            "sensetop": "in formation",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "formation flying"
                },
                {
                    "text": "aircraft flying in formation",
                    "contextForm": "in formation"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The team usually plays in a 4-4-2 formation."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The troops advanced in battle formation."
                },
                {
                    "text": "changing patterns of marriage and family formation"
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["close", "tight", "battle"],
                "formation + noun": ["flying"],
                "preposition": ["in a… formation", "in formation"]
            }
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/fɔːˈmeɪʃn/",
                "audio": "fo/formation/formation__gb_2.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/fɔːrˈmeɪʃn/",
                "audio": "fo/formation/formation__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "late Middle English: from Latin formatio(n-), from formare ‘to form’, based on Latin forma ‘a mould or form’."
}