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formal

 
Dictionary: for·mal   (fôr'məl) pronunciation
adj.
    1. Relating to or involving outward form or structure.
    2. Being or relating to essential form or constitution: a formal principle.
    1. Following or being in accord with accepted forms, conventions, or regulations: had little formal education; went to a formal party.
    2. Executed, carried out, or done in proper or regular form: a formal reprimand; a formal document.
    1. Characterized by strict or meticulous observation of forms; methodical: very formal in their business transactions.
    2. Stiffly ceremonious: a formal manner; a formal greeting; a formal bow to the monarch.
  1. Having the outward appearance but lacking in substance: a formal requirement that is usually ignored.
n.
Something, such as a gown or social affair, that is formal in nature.

[Middle English, from Latin fōrmālis, from fōrma, shape.]

formally for'mal·ly adv.
formalness for'mal·ness n.

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Thesaurus: formal
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adjective

  1. Fond of or given to ceremony: ceremonious, conventional, courtly, punctilious. See courtesy/discourtesy.
  2. Of or characterized by ceremony: ceremonial, ceremonious, liturgical, ritual, ritualistic. See ritual.
  3. Requiring elegant clothes and fine manners: dressy, full-dress. See plain/fancy.

Antonyms: formal
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adj

Definition: established, orderly
Antonyms: casual, disorderly, informal, nonformal, relaxed, unofficial

adj

Definition: stiff, affected, correct, precise
Antonyms: casual, customary, informal, normal, relaxed, unaffected


Word Tutor: formal
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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: Relating to an event requiring elegant dress and manners.

pronunciation Of all formal things in the world, a clipped hedge is the most formal. — Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887).

Wikipedia: Formal
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Formal, (adj.) relating to an established procedure or set of specific behaviors.

For other uses of form see Form

For other uses of formalism see Formalism

Formal may also refer to:

General:

Logic and mathematics:

  • Formal logic, logical argument based on form
  • Formal cause, Aristotle's intrinsic, determining cause
  • Formal power series, a generalization of power series without requiring convergence, used in combinatorics
  • Formal calculation, a calculation which is systematic, but without a rigorous justification
  • Formal set theory, as opposed to Naive set theory
  • Formal derivative, an operation on elements of a polynomial ring which mimics the form of the derivative from calculus

Linguistics:

Chemistry:

Computer science:

  • Formal methods, mathematically-based techniques for the specification, development and verification of software and hardware systems
  • Formal specification, describes what a system should do, not how it should do it
  • Formal verification, proves correctness of a system

Translations: Formal
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Dansk (Danish)
adj. - formel, højtidelig
n. - bal hvor deltagerne er i galla, aftenkjole

Nederlands (Dutch)
formeel, vormelijk, (alleen het) uiterlijk, betreffende de essentie, molair (chemie), formeel iets (b.v. kleding)

Français (French)
adj. - officiel, soutenu (un style), solennel, cérémonieux, guindé, reconnu, professionnel, (Littérat, Art) formel
n. - traditionnel (un enseignement), tenue de soirée, bal de cérémonie

Deutsch (German)
adj. - förmlich, steif, formell
n. - (AmE)(ugs.) Abendkleid

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - τυπικός, εθιμοτυπικός, επίσημος, κανονικός, σύμφωνος με τα συμβατικά πρότυπα, καθιερωμένος

Italiano (Italian)
formale, cerimonioso

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - formal

Русский (Russian)
формальный, официальный, для проформы, церемонный

Español (Spanish)
adj. - formal, protocolario, ceremonioso, solemne
n. - baile de gala, vestido de etiqueta

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - formell, formlig, högtidlig, stel, geometrisk, sken-

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
正式的, 礼仪的, 形式的, 正式的社交活动, 夜礼服

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 正式的, 禮儀的, 形式的
n. - 正式的社交活動, 晚禮服

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 형식적인, 표면적인, 예절의, 모양의
n. - 정식 무도회, 야회복

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 正式の, 儀礼的な, 形式ばった, 堅苦しい, 形式の, 形式上の, 形ばかりの

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) شكلي , رسمي‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮רשמי, פורמאלי, חיצוני, טקסי, קפדני, סימטרי, צורתי, צורני‬
n. - ‮שמלת ערב, אירוע שלובשים לכבודו שמלת ערב‬


 
 
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conversational
ceremonial
demotic

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