formal
EnglishEdit
Etymology 1Edit
From Middle English formel, borrowed from Old French formel, from Latin formalis, from forma (“form”); see form.
PronunciationEdit
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈfɔɹməl/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈfɔːməl/
- Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)məl
- Hyphenation: for‧mal
Audio (US) (file)
AdjectiveEdit
formal (comparative more formal, superlative most formal)
- Being in accord with established forms.
- She spoke formal English, without any dialect.
- 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.”
- 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.
- Relating to formation.
- The formal stage is a critical part of any child's development.
- Ceremonial or traditional.
- Formal wear must be worn at my wedding!
- Proper, according to strict etiquette; not casual.
- He's always very formal, and I wish he'd relax a bit.
- Organized; well-structured and planned.
- When they became a formal club the rowers built a small boathouse.
- (mathematics) Relating to mere manipulation and construction of strings of symbols, without regard to their meaning.
- Formal series are defined without any reference to convergence.
AntonymsEdit
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
|
|
|
|
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
NounEdit
formal (countable and uncountable, plural formals)
- (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
- An event with a formal dress code.
- Jenny took Sam to her Year 12 formal.
- (programming) A formal parameter.
- (Oxbridge slang) Ellipsis of formal hall..
Derived termsEdit
Etymology 2Edit
see formo-
NounEdit
formal (plural formals)
- (uncountable) Formalin.
- An acetal formed from formaldehyde.
Related termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
Further readingEdit
- formal in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- formal in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911
AnagramsEdit
CatalanEdit
EtymologyEdit
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
formal (masculine and feminine plural formals)
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
Further readingEdit
- “formal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “formal”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
- “formal” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “formal” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
Crimean TatarEdit
EtymologyEdit
Borrowed from Latin formalis, from forma (“form”).
AdjectiveEdit
formal
ReferencesEdit
GalicianEdit
Etymology 1Edit
Inherited from Latin formalis.
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
formal m (plural formais)
- 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
- 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.
- Synonym: sesego
- 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:
- foundation, ruin
- mould for the production of tiles
Etymology 2Edit
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
formal m or f (plural formais)
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
Further readingEdit
- “formal” in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega, Royal Galician Academy.
ReferencesEdit
- “formal” in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval, SLI - ILGA 2006–2022.
- “formal” in Xavier Varela Barreiro & Xavier Gómez Guinovart: Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval. SLI / Grupo TALG / ILG, 2006–2018.
- “formal” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006–2013.
- “formal” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.
- “formal” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.
GermanEdit
EtymologyEdit
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
formal (strong nominative masculine singular formaler, comparative formaler, superlative am formalsten)
- formal (being in accord with established forms)
Usage notesEdit
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.
DeclensionEdit
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 |
Further readingEdit
PiedmonteseEdit
EtymologyEdit
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
formal
PortugueseEdit
EtymologyEdit
Borrowed from Latin fōrmālis. By surface analysis, forma + -al.
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
formal m or f (plural formais)
- formal (being in accord with established forms)
- formal (official)
- formal (relating to the form or structure of something)
- formal (ceremonial)
- (logic) formal (involving mere manipulations of symbols)
Derived termsEdit
Further readingEdit
- “formal” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913
RomanianEdit
EtymologyEdit
Borrowed from French formel, Latin formalis.
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
formal m or n (feminine singular formală, masculine plural formali, feminine and neuter plural formale)
DeclensionEdit
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 |
Related termsEdit
SpanishEdit
EtymologyEdit
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
formal (plural formales)
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
Further readingEdit
- “formal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014