verb
Common
formed
fawrmd
Formed (verb) means past tense and past participle of form: brought into existence, made, or arranged into a particular shape or structure. Example: “The band formed in a garage in 1998.”
verb
1
Past tense and past participle of form: brought into existence, made, or arranged into a particular shape or structure.
"The band formed in a garage in 1998."
"Ice had formed on the inside of the windows overnight."
"A small puddle had formed beside the front door after the rain."
adjective
1
Having a particular shape, structure or character, especially as a result of development or influence.
"His political views were formed by the strikes he lived through."
"The clay pieces are left to dry once formed."
"She was a fully formed writer by the time she left school."
How to use formed
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMade, shaped or started something.
When to use it
Neutral. Very often used in combinations such as well-formed, newly formed, fully formed and freshly formed.
Memory tip
Form is a regular verb, so both the past tense and the past participle are formed — no irregular spelling to remember.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
Common pairings
newly formed
fully formed
formed part of
formed the basis of
well-formed
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The band _____ in a garage in 1998.
Etymology
From Latin forma, meaning shape or figure, via Old French former.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for formed
See all rhymes for formed →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between formed and founded?
Formed can describe anything coming into shape or existence, including ice, clouds, opinions and groups. Founded applies specifically to institutions and organisations deliberately set up by people — a company is founded, but frost is only ever formed.
What does "fully formed" mean?
It means complete and finished at the moment it appears, needing no further development. It is often used of ideas that arrive whole — "the song came to her fully formed" — or of an organism that has reached its final structure.
What is the meaning of formed?
"formed" (verb) means past tense and past participle of form: brought into existence, made, or arranged into a particular shape or structure.
What is another word for formed?
Other words for "formed" include created, established, made, shaped, founded, moulded.
