form

formverb

To form is to bring something into being or give it a shape, often from separate parts.

1. start a groupstart a group, a business, or an organization

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj]

   • They formed a band when they were at school. V + obj
   • The two companies joined to form a new one. V + obj
   • The neighbors formed a group to clean up the park. V + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun form a band, form a club, form a company, form a government, form a team

   Synonyms found; set up

2. begin to existbegin to exist or appear and slowly develop

   intransitive [I]

   • Ice had formed on the windows during the night.
   • A crowd began to form outside the shop.
   • Dark clouds were forming in the west.

   Collocations

   noun + verb ice forms, clouds form, a crowd forms, a line forms

3. opinion or relationshipdevelop an idea, an opinion, a habit, or a relationship

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj]

   • It's too early to form an opinion. V + obj
   • The two women formed a close friendship. V + obj
   • Children form habits very early. V + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun form an opinion, form an idea, form a friendship, form a habit, form a bond

4. shapemake something into a particular shape, or make a shape by the way you stand or are placed

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj] verb + object + preposition + object [V + obj + prep + obj]

   • Form the dough into small balls. V + obj + prep + obj
   • The children formed a circle around the teacher. V + obj
   • The houses form a square around a small garden. V + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun form a circle, form a line, form a shape

   phrase form something into something

5. be the partsbe the parts that together make something, or be one of those parts

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj] not used in continuous tenses [no continuous]

   • Women form most of the staff at the hospital. V + obj
   • The river forms the line between the two farms. V + obj
   • These meetings form an important part of our work. V + obj

   Collocations

   phrase form part of something, form the basis of something, form the majority

   Synonyms make up

6. grammarmake a word or a grammar pattern from its parts

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj] usually passive [usually passive] grammar

   • How do you form the past tense of this verb? V + obj
   • Many questions in English are formed by changing the order of the words. V + obj (passive)

   Collocations

   verb + noun form the past tense, form a question, form the plural