formal

From Middle English formel, borrowed from Old French formel, from Latin fōrmālis, from fōrma (“form”); equivalent to form +‎ -al.

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈfɔɹməl/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈfɔːməl/
• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)məl
• Hyphenation: for‧mal

• Audio (US):

  (file)

formal (comparative more formal, superlative most formal)

1. In accordance 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. (especially sciences, mathematics, linguistics) In accordance with a methodological framework with well-defined rules or laws; rigorous.

   A set of words can be formal cognates only if they can be derived from a common ancestor by regular sound laws.

   Only formal proofs, which derive theorems logically from their given axioms, are considered satisfactory in modern mathematics.

9. (mathematics, philosophy) Relating to mere manipulation and construction of strings of symbols, without regard to their meaning.

   Formal series are defined without any reference to convergence.

• informal

• form

formal (countable and uncountable, plural formals)

1. (clothing) An evening gown.
   • 1965, Shadow Morton, “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.

• formal swap

See formo-.

formal (countable and uncountable, plural formals)

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

• hemiformal

• “formal”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “formal”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

• Folmar

Borrowed from Latin fōrmālis.

• IPA^(key): (Central) [furˈmal]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [forˈmal]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [foɾˈmal]

• Audio (Catalonia):

  (file)

formal m or f (masculine and feminine plural formals)

1. formal

   Antonym: informal

• formalitzar
• formalment
• informal

• forma
• formalitat

• “formal”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “formal”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026
• “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.

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

formal

1. formal

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

Inherited from Latin formalis.

• IPA^(key): /foɾˈmal/

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

Learned borrowing from Latin formalis.

• IPA^(key): /foɾˈmal/

formal m or f (plural formais)

1. formal

• formalmente

• forma
• formalidade
• informal

• “formal”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026

• Seoane, Ernesto Xosé González; Granja, María Álvarez de la; Agrelo, Ana Isabel Boullón (2006–2022), “formal”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval [Dictionary of dictionaries of Medieval Galician] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Barreiro, Xavier Varela; Guinovart, Xavier Gómez (2006–2018), “formal”, in Corpus Xelmírez: corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval [Corpus Xelmírez: linguistic corpus of Medieval Galicia] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “formal”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “formal”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “formal”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Form +‎ -al

• IPA^(key): /fɔʁˈmaːl/
• Rhymes: -aːl

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

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

1. formal (being in accord with established forms)

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.

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

formal (comparative lebih formal, superlative paling formal)

1. formal

• formil

Borrowed from English formal, from Middle English formel, from Old French formel, from Latin fōrmālis, from fōrma (“form”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɔ(r)məl/ [ˈfɔ(r).məl], /ˈfo(r)mal/ [ˈfo(r).mal]
• Rhymes: -əl, -al
• Hyphenation: for‧mal

formal (Jawi spelling فورمل, comparative lebih formal, superlative paling formal)

1. Formal:

   Antonym: informal

   1. Being in accord with established forms.
   2. Official.

      Synonym: rasmi

   3. Ceremonial or traditional.
   4. Proper, according to strict etiquette; not casual.

      Antonym: kasual

• "formal" in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu (PRPM) [Malay Literary Reference Centre (PRPM)] (in Malay), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017

From Latin formalis.

• IPA^(key): /furˈmal/
• Rhymes: -al

formal

1. formal

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

• Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
• Hyphenation: for‧mal

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)

• formalmente

• “formal”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “formal” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913
• “formal”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Borrowed from French formel, Latin formalis.

• IPA^(key): /forˈmal/

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

1. formal

• formalitate

Borrowed from Latin formālis.

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

formal m or f (masculine and feminine plural formales)

1. formal
2. reliable, dependable

• forma
• informal
  • informalidad
  • informalmente

• “formal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025