giving or capable of giving form to something, esp having a significant influence on the growth or development of somebody or something
a formative influence
of or characterized by formation or development or by formative effects
Certain emotional responses develop subconsciously during a child's formative years
used in word formation or inflection
‘-ing’ is a formative affix
said of a cell, tissue, etc: capable of alteration by growth and development
producing new cells and tissues
formatively adv
formativeness noun
[Middle English via French from Latin formativus, from formare: see format1]