formality

(fôr-măl'ĭ-tē)
n., pl., -ties.

1. The quality or condition of being formal.
2. Rigorous or ceremonious adherence to established forms, rules, or customs.
3. An established form, rule, or custom, especially one followed merely for the sake of procedure or decorum.

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The first is the ordinary noun corresponding to formal: formality is primarily the observance of rules and conventions, a formality is something that has to be done by convention (often with implications of superfluousness: The interview was a mere formality), and formalities are customary procedures. The word in all these uses often has a dismissive tone. Formalism, first recorded in 1840, has meanings based on the notion of 'excessive adherence to prescribed forms' and is used in various technical applications in theology, mathematics, linguistics, the arts, and education:

The theory was that freeing schoolchildren from the constraints of formalism encouraged creativity—Scotsman, 2000.

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noun

1. Strict observance of social conventions: ceremoniousness, ceremony, protocol, punctiliousness. See courtesy/discourtesy.
2. A conventional social gesture or act without intrinsic purpose: ceremony, form, ritual. See ritual, usual/unusual.

n

Definition: convention, custom, etiquette, protocol
Antonyms: informality, possibility

IN BRIEF: An established procedure that is required or usual.

It was just a formality to bow to the president when the motorcade passed by.

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For a list of words related to formality, see:

• Attitudes and Behavior - formality: propriety in observing prescribed customs

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  See crossword solutions for the clue Formality.

Dansk (Danish)
n. - formalitet

Nederlands (Dutch)
formaliteit, vormelijkheid, ceremonie

Français (French)
n. - formalité, solennité, caractère cérémonieux, caractère soutenu

Deutsch (German)
n. - Formalität, Förmlichkeit

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - τυπικότητα, ψυχρότητα, τύπος, επισημότητα, (πληθ.) διατυπώσεις, τύποι

Italiano (Italian)
formalità

Português (Portuguese)
n. - formalidade (f)

Русский (Russian)
формальность, соблюдение формальности, педантизм

Español (Spanish)
n. - formalidad

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - formenlighet, konventionalism, formalitet, stelhet

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
礼节, 拘谨, 程序

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 禮節, 拘謹, 程式

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 형식에 얽매임, 정규절차, 정식, 관습

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 形式にこだわること, 堅苦しさ, 形式的な行為, 正式な手続き, 形だけのもの

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) تصرف رسمي أو شكلي‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮רשמיות, טקסיות, הליך, נוהל‬

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