1.
battle formation; military formation; tactical arrangement
The arrangement or positioning of troops or forces for battle. Used in historical and military contexts.
2.
formation; lineup; arrangement of players or team members
By extension, the tactical arrangement of players in sports or the positioning of participants in games. Common in gaming and sports contexts.
A compound of 陣 (camp, position, battle line) and 形 (shape, form). Originally a military term referring to the tactical arrangement of forces, now also widely used in sports and gaming.
Common collocations
- 陣形を組む: to form a formation
- 陣形を整える: to arrange the formation
- 陣形を変える: to change the formation
- 陣形を崩す: to break the formation
- 攻撃陣形: offensive formation
- 守備陣形: defensive formation
Historical formations
Famous Japanese battle formations include:
- 鶴翼: crane-wing — troops spread wide to envelop the enemy
- 魚鱗: fish-scale — a wedge formation for concentrated attack
- 方円: circle — a defensive formation against attack from all sides
Similar words
- 隊形: formation, lineup — more commonly used for marching or parade formations; 陣形 emphasizes tactical or combat positioning
- フォーメーション: formation — the English loanword, used especially in sports like soccer and basketball