Origin: Latin suffix -ive
Formative has 5 different meanings across 2 categories:
minimal language unit that has a syntactic (or morphological) function
"The linguist explained that while words carry meaning, the formative is the smallest piece of language that can change how a phrase functions in a sentence."
A language unit that has morphological function.
"In linguistics, a formative is defined as any language unit that carries a specific morphological function within a word's structure."
Of or pertaining to the formation and subsequent growth of something.
"The early years spent in that small village were formative, shaping his values and work ethic for decades to come."