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formal

adj, noun — 15 senses

formal

adj

US /ˈfɔɹməl/ · UK /ˈfɔːməl/

Etymology From Middle English formel, borrowed from Old French formel, from Latin fōrmālis, from fōrma (“form”); equivalent to form + -al.

9 senses
  1. 1In accordance with established forms.
  2. 2Official.
  3. 3Relating to the form or structure of something.
  4. 4Relating to formation.
  5. 5Ceremonial or traditional.
  6. 6Proper, according to strict etiquette; not casual.
  7. 7Organized; well-structured and planned.
  8. 8In accordance with a methodological framework with…
  9. 9Relating to mere manipulation and construction of…
1

In accordance with established forms.

  • She spoke formal English, without any dialect.
2

Official.

  • I'd like to make a formal complaint.
3

Relating to the form or structure of something.

  • Formal linguistics ignores the vocabulary of languages and focuses solely on their grammar.
  • THE THREE DOMINANT FORMS IN METALSMITHING […] At present, there are but three basic volumetric forms dominating the work of metalsmiths, the spherical (usually in its most practical form, the domical), the cylindrical, and the cubical. […] The possibilities for further variations on them are all but exhausted, there being little chance to express new and unusual ideas within the framework of such limited choices. As a result, much of twentieth-century metalsmithing has relied on surface enrichment rather than formal development for its originality.1978, Heikki Seppä, Form Emphasis for Metalsmiths, [Kent, Oh.]: Kent State University Press, →ISBN, page 1:
4

Relating to formation.

  • The formal stage is a critical part of any child's development.
5

Ceremonial or traditional.

  • Formal wear must be worn at my wedding!
6

Proper, according to strict etiquette; not casual.

  • He's always very formal, and I wish he'd relax a bit.
7

Organized; well-structured and planned.

  • When they became a formal club the rowers built a small boathouse.
8

Human sciences, Linguistics, Mathematics, Sciences Especially In accordance with a methodological framework with well-defined rules or laws; rigorous.

  • Despite efforts by limnologists and freshwater biologists to create a formal definition of “pond”, there is still no universal distinction between a “pond” and a “lake”.
  • Only formal proofs, which derive theorems logically from their given axioms, are considered satisfactory in modern mathematics.
1 more example
  • A set of words can be formal cognates only if they can be derived from a common ancestor by regular sound laws.
9

Human sciences, Mathematics, Philosophy, Sciences Relating to mere manipulation and construction of strings of symbols, without regard to their meaning.

  • Formal series are defined without any reference to convergence.
Antonyms
informal
Derived terms
46 termsbusiness formal, essive-formal, formal cause, formal charge, formal education, formal equivalence, formalese, formalesque, formal fallacy, formal grammar, formal heresy, formalish, formalism, formalist, formality, formalization, formalize, formal language, formal linguistics, formal logic, formally, formal mathematics, formalness, formal ontology, formal power series, formal science, formal semantics, formal series, formal sociology, formal sum, formal system, formal validity, formal wear, formalwear, hyperformal, microformal, nonformal, non-formal learning, omniformal, overformal, postformal, pseudoformal, semiformal, superformal, ultraformal, unformal
Related terms
form

formal

noun

Etymology From Middle English formel, borrowed from Old French formel, from Latin fōrmālis, from fōrma (“form”); equivalent to form + -al.

1

Business, Clothing, Fashion, Lifestyle, Manufacturing, Textiles An evening gown.

  • Well, I open up the door / And much to my surprise / The girls were wearin' formals / And the boys were wearin' ties1965, Shadow Morton, “Sophisticated Boom Boom”, performed by The Shangri-Las:
2

An event with a formal dress code.

  • Jenny took Sam to her Year 12 formal.
3

Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Programming, Sciences A formal parameter.

4

Abbreviation, Ellipsis Ellipsis of formal hall.

Derived terms
formal swap

formal

noun

Etymology See formo-.

1

Formalin.

2

An acetal formed from formaldehyde.

Related terms
hemiformal

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.