formal

¹

[fawr-muhl]

adjective

1. being in accordance with the usual requirements, customs, etc.; conventional.

   to pay one's formal respects.

2. marked by form or ceremony.

   a formal occasion.

3. designed for wear or use at occasions or events marked by elaborate ceremony or prescribed social observance.

   The formal attire included tuxedos and full-length gowns.

4. requiring a type of dress suitable for such occasions.

   a formal dance.

5. observant of conventional requirements of behavior, procedure, etc., as persons; ceremonious.

   Synonyms: conformist

6. excessively ceremonious.

   a manner that was formal and austere.

   Synonyms: punctilious

7. being a matter of form only; perfunctory.

   We expected more than just formal courtesy.

8. made or done in accordance with procedures that ensure validity.

   a formal authorization.

   Synonyms: official, legal

9. of, relating to, or emphasizing the organization or composition of the constituent elements in a work of art perceived separately from its subject matter.

   a formal approach to painting; the formal structure of a poem.

10. being in accordance with prescribed or customary forms.

    a formal siege.

11. Theater.,  (of a stage setting) generalized and simplified in design, especially of architectural elements, and serving as a permanent set for a play irrespective of changes in location.

12. acquired in school; academic.

    He had little formal training in economics.

13. symmetrical or highly organized.

    a formal garden.

14. of, reflecting, or noting a usage of language in which syntax, pronunciation, etc., adhere to traditional standards of correctness and usage is characterized by the absence of casual, contracted, and colloquial forms.

    The paper was written in formal English.

15. Philosophy.

    1. pertaining to form.

    2. Aristotelianism.,  not material; essential.

16. Logic.,  formal logic.

17. pertaining to the form, shape, or mode of a thing, especially as distinguished from the substance.

    formal writing, bereft of all personality.

18. being such merely in appearance or name; nominal.

    a formal head of the government having no actual powers.

19. Mathematics.

    1. (of a proof ) in strict logical form with a justification for every step.

    2. (of a calculation) correct in form; made with strict justification for every step.

    3. (of a calculation, derivation, representation, or the like) of or relating to manipulation of symbols without regard to their meaning.

noun

1. a dance, ball, or other social occasion that requires formalwear.

2. an evening gown.

adverb

1. in formal attire.

   We're supposed to go formal.

formal

²

[fawr-mal]

noun

Chemistry.

1. methylal.

formal

¹

/ ˈfɔːməl /

adjective

1. of, according to, or following established or prescribed forms, conventions, etc

   a formal document

2. characterized by observation of conventional forms of ceremony, behaviour, dress, etc

   a formal dinner

3. methodical, precise, or stiff

4. suitable for occasions organized according to conventional ceremony

   formal dress

5. denoting or characterized by idiom, vocabulary, etc, used by educated speakers and writers of a language

6. acquired by study in academic institutions

   a formal education

7. regular or symmetrical in form

   a formal garden

8. of or relating to the appearance, form, etc, of something as distinguished from its substance

9. logically deductive

   formal proof

10. philosophy

    1. of or relating to form as opposed to matter or content

    2. pertaining to the essence or nature of something

       formal cause

    3. (in the writings of Descartes) pertaining to the correspondence between an image or idea and its object

    4. being in the formal mode

11. denoting a second-person pronoun in some languages used when the addressee is a stranger, social superior, etc

    in French the pronoun ``vous'' is formal, while ``tu'' is informal

formal

²

/ ˈfɔːmæl /

noun

1. another name for methylal

Other Word Forms

• formalness noun
• formally adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of formal¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English formal, formel, from Latin fōrmālis; form, -al ¹

Origin of formal²

First recorded in 1895–1900; from formaldehyde

Word History and Origins

Origin of formal¹

C14: from Latin formālis

Origin of formal²

C19: from _form ( _ic ) + _-al ³

Synonym Study

Formal, academic, conventional may have either favorable or unfavorable implications. Formal may mean in proper form, or may imply excessive emphasis on empty form. In the favorable sense, academic applies to scholars or higher institutions of learning; it may, however, imply slavish conformance to mere rules, or to belief in impractical theories. Conventional, in a favorable sense, applies to desirable conformity with accepted conventions or customs; but it more often is applied to arbitrary, forced, or meaningless conformity.

Example Sentences

A Peterborough City Council spokesperson said: "A formal complaint has been received by the council in relation to this and we are now considering its contents."

From BBC

A written response will be issued within six months and be presented to the UK-EU joint committee, the formal body which oversees the arrangements of the Windsor Framework.

From BBC

One of the things I did early on in my life, before I started taking formal singing lessons, is I would just try to sound like everybody I listened to.

From Los Angeles Times

Newsom can exercise political sway over its moves but, aside from his vote, has no formal power over the body’s decisions.

From Los Angeles Times

However, a recent review of the water sector by Sir John Cunliffe recommended a new regulatory framework that would establish "a formal regime to support the turnaround of poorly performing companies".

From BBC

Related Words

• academic 
• ceremonial 
• explicit 
• legal 
• precise 
• proper 
• solemn 
• strict