formal

About 45.32 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. adjective In accordance with established forms.

   She spoke formal English, without any dialect.

2. adjective Official.

   I'd like to make a formal complaint.

3. adjective Relating to the form or structure of something.

   Formal linguistics ignores the vocabulary of languages and focuses solely on their grammar.

4. adjective Relating to formation.

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

5. adjective Ceremonial or traditional.

   Formal wear must be worn at my wedding!

6. adjective Proper, according to strict etiquette; not casual.

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

7. adjective Organized; well-structured and planned.

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

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

   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”.

Similar words

pro forma conventional titular perfunctory logical ceremonious nominal ceremonial official courtly

Often followed by

and education or training structure logic organization schooling system

Word family

formally formalness formalnesses formals