transformation

[trans-fer-mey-shuhn]

noun

1. the act or process of transforming.

2. the state of being transformed.

3. change in form, appearance, nature, or character.

4. Theater.,  a seemingly miraculous change in the appearance of scenery or actors in view of the audience.

5. Also called transform. Logic.,  one of a set of algebraic formulas used to express the relations between elements, sets, etc., that form parts of a given system.

6. Mathematics.

   1. the act, process, or result of transforming or mapping.

   2. function.

7. Linguistics.

   1. transformational rule.

   2. the process by which deep structures are converted into surface structures using transformational rules.

8. Genetics.,  the transfer of genetic material from one cell to another resulting in a genetic change in the recipient cell.

9. a wig or hairpiece for a woman.

transformation

/ ˌtrænsfəˈmeɪʃən /

noun

1. a change or alteration, esp a radical one

2. the act of transforming or the state of being transformed

3. maths

   1. a change in position or direction of the reference axes in a coordinate system without an alteration in their relative angle

   2. an equivalent change in an expression or equation resulting from the substitution of one set of variables by another

4. physics a change in an atomic nucleus to a different nuclide as the result of the emission of either an alpha-particle or a beta-particle Compare transition

5. linguistics another word for transformational rule

6. an apparently miraculous change in the appearance of a stage set

7. (in South Africa) a national strategy aimed at attaining national unity, promoting reconciliation through negotiated settlement and non-racism

transformation

1. The genetic alteration of a bacteria cell by the introduction of DNA from another cell or from a virus. Plasmids, which contain extrachromosomal DNA, are used to transform bacteria in recombinant DNA research.

2. The change undergone by an animal cell upon infection by a cancer-causing virus.

Other Word Forms

• transformational adjective
• nontransformation noun
• retransformation noun
• self-transformation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of transformation¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Late Latin trānsfōrmātiōn-, stem of trānsfōrmātiō “change of shape”; equivalent to trans- + formation

Example Sentences

"It's a relief to me that thousands and thousands of people mobilise against that genocide, because it is genocide and it has no other name," said Óscar López, the minister of digital transformation.

From BBC

Last year the Scottish government promised £14.2m to fund that transformation but 15 months later only a small amount of money has been handed over.

From BBC

“I feel great. I’m ready to get started. To surprise the world,” said the American, who reacted to social media comments about his physical transformation.

From Los Angeles Times

"Our 10-year health plan will go even further, driving care out of our busy hospitals and into local communities as we deliver the radical transformation required to fix our broken health service," he said.

From BBC

Over the years, Mr Pearce said the transformation in retail had been "incredible to see" with the centre undergoing major refurbishment as well as adapting to changing shopping habits.

From BBC

Related Words

• conversion 
• metamorphosis 
• renewal 
• revolution 
• shift