WordCodex

formal

See also: formál and formål

formal - English

Pronunciation

  • (General American) IPA: /ˈfɔɹməl/
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ˈfɔːməl/
  • Hyphenation: for‧mal

Adjective

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.
  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

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

formal (countable and uncountable, plural formals)

  1. (clothing) An evening gown.
  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

Noun

formal (plural formals)

  1. (uncountable) Formalin.
  2. An acetal formed from formaldehyde.

Translations

Anagrams

formal - Catalan

Pronunciation

  • (Balearic, Valencian) IPA: /foɾˈmal/
  • (Central) IPA: /furˈmal/

Adjective

formal (masculine and feminine plural formals)

  1. formal

Derived terms

formal - Crimean Tatar

Adjective

formal

  1. formal

formal - Galician

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /foɾˈmal/

Noun

formal m (plural formais)

  1. site, plot
  2. foundation, ruin
  3. mould for the production of tiles

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /foɾˈmal/

Adjective

formal m or f (plural formais)

  1. formal

Derived terms

formal - German

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /fɔʁˈmaːl/

Adjective

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

  1. formal (being in accord with established forms)

Usage notes

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

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
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
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

formal - Indonesian

Adjective

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

  1. formal

Alternative forms

formal - Piedmontese

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /furˈmal/

Adjective

formal

  1. formal

formal - Portuguese

Pronunciation

 
  • (Brazil) IPA: /foʁˈmaw/ [foɦˈmaʊ̯]
  • (Portugal) IPA: /fuɾˈmal/ [fuɾˈmaɫ]
  • Hyphenation: for‧mal

Adjective

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

formal - Romanian

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /forˈmal/

Adjective

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

  1. formal

Declension

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

formal - Spanish

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /foɾˈmal/ [foɾˈmal]
  • Syllabification: for‧mal

Adjective

formal (plural formales)

  1. formal
  2. reliable, dependable

Derived terms

Meaning and Definition of formal
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