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formal

adj
/ˈfɔɹməl/US/ˈfɔːməl/UK

Etymology

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

  1. derived from fōrmālis
  2. derived from formel
  3. inherited from formel

Definitions

  1. In accordance with established forms.

    • She spoke formal English, without any dialect.

  2. Official.

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

  3. Relating to the form or structure of something.

    • Formal linguistics ignores the vocabulary of languages and focuses solely on their grammar.
  4. ›+ 12 more definitions

    1. Relating to formation.

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

    2. Ceremonial or traditional.

      • Formal wear must be worn at my wedding!

    3. Proper, according to strict etiquette

      Proper, according to strict etiquette; not casual.

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

    4. Organized

      Organized; well-structured and planned.

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

    5. In accordance with a methodological framework with well-defined rules or laws

      In accordance with a methodological framework with well-defined rules or laws; rigorous.

      • A set of words can be formal cognates only if they can be derived from a common ancestor by regular sound laws.
      • Only formal proofs, which derive theorems logically from their given axioms, are considered satisfactory in modern mathematics.

    6. Relating to mere manipulation and construction of strings of symbols, without regard to…

      Relating to mere manipulation and construction of strings of symbols, without regard to their meaning.

      • Formal series are defined without any reference to convergence.

    7. An evening gown.

      • Well, I open up the door / And much to my surprise / The girls were wearin' formals / And the boys were wearin' ties

    8. An event with a formal dress code.

      • Jenny took Sam to her Year 12 formal.

    9. A formal parameter.

    10. Ellipsis of formal hall.

    11. Formalin.

    12. An acetal formed from formaldehyde.

The neighborhood

Derived

business 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 · +7 more

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at formal. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01formal02official03office04ceremonial05observing06observation07noting08pronunciation

A definitional loop anchored at formal. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

8 hops · closes at formal

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA