transformative

adjective

trans·​for·​ma·​tive tran(t)s-ˈfȯr-mə-tiv 

: causing or able to cause an important and lasting change in someone or something

a transformative experience

And she'll tell anyone who asks about her transformative weeks working for UNICEF in Congo and Cambodia.

—S. L. Price

It is increasingly hard to escape the conclusion that American politics has entered one of those rare transformative moments that shape the content of our public discourse and the direction of our governance for generations.

—Doug Ireland

Examples of transformative in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

From the transformative power of novels to raising a Black son in a turbulent era, Ward offers a deeply moving testament to resilience, storytelling, and the enduring beauty of life. —Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 2 May 2026

But investors are taking a chance in tying their money to college sports at a time when there are unresolved and potentially transformative legal battles, with outcomes hinging less on economics than on judicial decrees. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 1 May 2026

Africa’s reliance on diesel is more pronounced due to weaker grid infrastructure, making the shift both more challenging and potentially more transformative. —ABC News, 1 May 2026

Building on the success of the 2026 annual convening of Semafor World Economy, Semafor’s Silicon Valley & The World is the definitive new initiative to connect builders of transformative technologies with the leaders shaping their global impact. —Rachel Keidan, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1668, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for transformative

• germinative
• corroborative
• determinative
• forgive
• ogive
• outlive
• relive
• give
• sieve
• resistive