transformation

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Mathematics Technical

n. a process that changes one mathematical shape or expression into another.

n. a mapping of one mathematical space onto another, or the replacement of variables in an algebraic expression.

“The teacher explained how a geometric transformation can flip or rotate a shape.”

“Linear transformations are fundamental to understanding how vectors behave when moving from one coordinate system to another.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Science Academic · Technical

n. a rule that changes the structure of a sentence into a different form.

n. a rule that systematically converts one syntactic structure into another, such as changing an active sentence into a passive one.

“In grammar class, we learned about the transformation of active sentences into passive ones.”

“Generative grammar relies on specific transformations to explain how deep structures are converted into the surface structures of spoken language.”

C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Science Technical

n. a change in a cell caused by taking in DNA from outside.

n. the genetic alteration of a cell resulting from the direct uptake and incorporation of exogenous genetic material from its surroundings.

“Scientists used bacterial transformation to create medicine in the lab.”

“The successful transformation of the bacteria allowed the researchers to introduce a gene that provides resistance to specific antibiotics.”

C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Dialect

n. the change from apartheid to a fair democracy for all races in South Africa.

n. the socio-political transition from the apartheid era to a multiracial democracy in South Africa.

“The country is still working on economic transformation many years after the end of apartheid.”

“Transformation remains a central pillar of government policy as the nation seeks to redress the systemic inequalities inherited from the past.”