Wiktionary

formal

See also: formál and formål

English edit

 
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Etymology 1 edit

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

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

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. (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.
Antonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Translations edit
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Noun edit

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 edit

Etymology 2 edit

See formo-.

Noun edit

formal (countable and uncountable, plural formals)

  1. (uncountable) Formalin.
  2. An acetal formed from formaldehyde.
Related terms edit
Translations edit
formalin — see formalin

Further reading edit

Anagrams edit

Catalan edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Latin fōrmālis.

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

formal m or f (masculine and feminine plural formals)

  1. formal
    Antonym: informal

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Further reading edit

Crimean Tatar edit

Etymology edit

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

Adjective edit

formal

  1. formal

References edit

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

Galician edit

Etymology 1 edit

Inherited from Latin formalis.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

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 edit

Borrowed from Latin formalis.

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

formal m or f (plural formais)

  1. formal
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Further reading edit

References edit

  • “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.

German edit

Etymology edit

Form +‎ -al

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

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

  1. formal (being in accord with established forms)

Usage notes edit

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 edit

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 edit

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

Indonesian edit

Adjective edit

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

  1. formal

Alternative forms edit

Piedmontese edit

Etymology edit

From Latin formalis.

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

formal

  1. formal

Portuguese edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Latin fōrmālis. By surface analysis, forma +‎ -al.

Pronunciation edit

 
 

  • Rhymes: -al, -aw
  • Hyphenation: for‧mal

Adjective edit

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 edit

Further reading edit

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

Romanian edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from French formel, Latin formalis.

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

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

  1. formal

Declension edit

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

Related terms edit

Spanish edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Latin formālis.

Pronunciation edit

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

Adjective edit

formal m or f (masculine and feminine plural formales)

  1. formal
  2. reliable, dependable

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Further reading edit

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