Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Transformation has 6 different meanings across 1 category:
a qualitative change
"The company's transformation from a struggling startup to an industry leader was nothing short of miraculous."
(mathematics) a function that changes the position or direction of the axes of a coordinate system
"When applying an affine transformation to the graph, we must first adjust for how the rotation alters the orientation of our coordinate axes."
a rule describing the conversion of one syntactic structure into another related syntactic structure
"The linguist spent hours analyzing the transformation that converted the passive voice clause back into its active counterpart."
(genetics) modification of a cell or bacterium by the uptake and incorporation of exogenous DNA
"The researcher observed that adding purified plasmid to the bacterial culture resulted in a successful transformation, as confirmed by the appearance of antibiotic-resistant colonies on the agar plate."
the act of changing in form or shape or appearance
"a photograph is a translation of a scene onto a two-dimensional surface"
The act of transforming or the state of being transformed.
"The transformation from caterpillar to butterfly is a remarkable biological process that takes place within its chrysalis."
In plain English: A transformation is a big change that turns something into something completely different.
"The caterpillar underwent a complete transformation into a butterfly."
Usage: Use transformation to describe a complete change in form, appearance, or nature rather than minor adjustments. It often refers to dramatic shifts like metamorphosis or major organizational overhauls where the original identity is significantly altered.
The word transformation entered English via Middle French and Ecclesiastical Latin as a noun formed by adding the suffix "-ation" to "transform." It originally referred to a change of form or appearance before settling into its current meaning.