Wiktionary

formal

See also: formál, and formål

English

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Etymology 1

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

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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formal (comparative more formal, superlative most formal)

  1. Being in accord 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.
    • 1978, Heikki Seppä, Form Emphasis for Metalsmiths, [Kent, Oh.]: Kent State University Press, →ISBN, page 1:
      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.
  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. (especially sciences, mathematics, linguistics) 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.
  9. (mathematics, philosophy) 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
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Derived terms
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Translations
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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Noun

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formal (countable and uncountable, plural formals)

  1. (clothing) An evening gown.
    • 1965, Shadow Morton (lyrics and music), “Sophisticated Boom Boom”, performed by The Shangri-Las:
      Well, I open up the door / And much to my surprise / The girls were wearin' formals / And the boys were wearin' ties
  2. An event with a formal dress code.
    Jenny took Sam to her Year 12 formal.
  3. (programming) A formal parameter.
  4. (Oxbridge slang) Ellipsis of formal hall..
Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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See formo-.

Noun

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formal (countable and uncountable, plural formals)

  1. (uncountable) Formalin.
  2. An acetal formed from formaldehyde.
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Translations
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Further reading

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Anagrams

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Catalan

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin fōrmālis.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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formal m or f (masculine and feminine plural formals)

  1. formal
    Antonym: informal

Derived terms

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Further reading

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Crimean Tatar

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin formalis, from forma (“form”).

Adjective

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formal

  1. formal

References

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  • Mirjejev, V. A., Usejinov, S. M. (2002) Ukrajinsʹko-krymsʹkotatarsʹkyj slovnyk‎[1], Simferopol: Dolya, →ISBN

Galician

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Etymology 1

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Inherited from Latin formalis.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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formal m (plural formais)

  1. site, plot
    • 1290, M. Lucas Álvarez P. Lucas Domínguez (eds.), El monasterio de San Clodio do Ribeiro en la Edad Media: estudio y documentos. Sada / A Coruña: Edicións do Castro, page 415:
      damos a uos que tenades de nos essa cassa en que uos ora morades en Eyres, con seu saydo et con todo o formal dessa casa, asi como esta çerrada de muro ao tenpo da era desta carta.
      we give you, for you to have, that house where you now dwell in Eires, with its garden and with the whole plot of that house, as it is enclosed with a wall at the time of this charter
    Synonym: sesego
  2. foundation, ruin
  3. mould for the production of tiles

Etymology 2

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Learned borrowing from Latin formalis.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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formal m or f (plural formais)

  1. formal
Derived terms
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Further reading
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References

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German

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Etymology

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Form ‎ -al

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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formal (strong nominative masculine singular formaler, comparative formaler, superlative am formalsten)

  1. formal (being in accord with established forms)

Usage notes

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Not to be confused with formell. The adjectives formell and informell express the presence or absence of ceremonies: ein informelles Treffen is a meeting in a near-private context. The adjective formal stresses the outward appearance (pro forma) as opposed to the content or the spirit.

Declension

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Positive forms of formal
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist formal sie ist formal es ist formal sie sind formal
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative formaler formale formales formale
genitive formalen formaler formalen formaler
dative formalem formaler formalem formalen
accusative formalen formale formales formale
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der formale die formale das formale die formalen
genitive des formalen der formalen des formalen der formalen
dative dem formalen der formalen dem formalen den formalen
accusative den formalen die formale das formale die formalen
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein formaler eine formale ein formales (keine) formalen
genitive eines formalen einer formalen eines formalen (keiner) formalen
dative einem formalen einer formalen einem formalen (keinen) formalen
accusative einen formalen eine formale ein formales (keine) formalen
Comparative forms of formal
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist formaler sie ist formaler es ist formaler sie sind formaler
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative formalerer formalere formaleres formalere
genitive formaleren formalerer formaleren formalerer
dative formalerem formalerer formalerem formaleren
accusative formaleren formalere formaleres formalere
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der formalere die formalere das formalere die formaleren
genitive des formaleren der formaleren des formaleren der formaleren
dative dem formaleren der formaleren dem formaleren den formaleren
accusative den formaleren die formalere das formalere die formaleren
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein formalerer eine formalere ein formaleres (keine) formaleren
genitive eines formaleren einer formaleren eines formaleren (keiner) formaleren
dative einem formaleren einer formaleren einem formaleren (keinen) formaleren
accusative einen formaleren eine formalere ein formaleres (keine) formaleren
Superlative forms of formal
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist am formalsten sie ist am formalsten es ist am formalsten sie sind am formalsten
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative formalster formalste formalstes formalste
genitive formalsten formalster formalsten formalster
dative formalstem formalster formalstem formalsten
accusative formalsten formalste formalstes formalste
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der formalste die formalste das formalste die formalsten
genitive des formalsten der formalsten des formalsten der formalsten
dative dem formalsten der formalsten dem formalsten den formalsten
accusative den formalsten die formalste das formalste die formalsten
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein formalster eine formalste ein formalstes (keine) formalsten
genitive eines formalsten einer formalsten eines formalsten (keiner) formalsten
dative einem formalsten einer formalsten einem formalsten (keinen) formalsten
accusative einen formalsten eine formalste ein formalstes (keine) formalsten

Further reading

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  • “formal” in Duden online
  • “formal” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Indonesian

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Adjective

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formal (first-person possessive formalku, second-person possessive formalmu, third-person possessive formalnya)

  1. formal

Alternative forms

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Malay

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Etymology

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From English formal, from Middle English formel, from Old French formel, from Latin fōrmālis, from fōrma (“form”).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): [fɔ(r).məl], [fo(r).mal]
  • Rhymes: -əl, -al
  • Hyphenation: for‧mal

Adjective

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formal (Jawi spelling فورمل)

  1. Formal:
    Antonym: informal
    1. Being in accord with established forms.
    2. Official.
      Synonym: rasmi
    3. Ceremonial or traditional.
    4. Proper, according to strict etiquette; not casual.
      Antonym: kasual

Affixations

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Further reading

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Piedmontese

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Etymology

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From Latin formalis.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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formal

  1. formal

Portuguese

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Etymology

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Learned borrowing from Latin fōrmālis. By surface analysis, forma ‎ -al.

Pronunciation

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  • Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
  • Hyphenation: for‧mal

Adjective

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formal m or f (plural formais)

  1. formal (being in accord with established forms)
  2. formal (official)
  3. formal (relating to the form or structure of something)
  4. formal (ceremonial)
  5. (logic) formal (involving mere manipulations of symbols)

Derived terms

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Further reading

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  • “formal” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913

Romanian

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Etymology

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Borrowed from French formel, Latin formalis.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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formal m or n (feminine singular formală, masculine plural formali, feminine and neuter plural formale)

  1. formal

Declension

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Declension of formal
singular plural
masculine neuter feminine masculine neuter feminine
nominative/
accusative 		indefinite formal formală formali formale
definite formalul formala formalii formalele
genitive/
dative 		indefinite formal formale formali formale
definite formalului formalei formalilor formalelor
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Spanish

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin formālis.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /foɾˈmal/ [foɾˈmal]
  • Rhymes: -al
  • Syllabification: for‧mal

Adjective

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formal m or f (masculine and feminine plural formales)

  1. formal
  2. reliable, dependable

Derived terms

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Further reading

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