What does "formal" mean?
An evening gown.
Formal
/ˈfɔɹməl/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Top 500 ·Elementary level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An evening gown.
- Grammar: formal is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: academic analysis, academic communities, academic community events, academic community leaders.
- Useful contrasts: colloquial, informal, pretentious.
- Usage evidence: I utterly despise formal writing!
How to use "formal"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "formal" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "formal" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "formal" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "formal" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "formal" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "academic analysis" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "formal", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An evening gown. countable, uncountable
"Well, I open up the door / And much to my surprise / The girls were wearin' formals / And the boys were wearin' ties"
- 2 Formalin. uncountable
- 3 a gown for evening wear wordnet
- 4 An event with a formal dress code. countable, uncountable
"Jenny took Sam to her Year 12 formal."
- 5 An acetal formed from formaldehyde. countable, uncountable
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 a lavish dance requiring formal attire wordnet
- 7 A formal parameter. countable, uncountable
- 8 Ellipsis of formal hall. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
Adjective
- 1 In accordance with established forms.
"She spoke formal English, without any dialect."
- 2 Official.
"I'd like to make a formal complaint."
- 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!"
Show 4 more definitions
- 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 In accordance with a methodological framework with well-defined rules or laws; rigorous. especially
"A set of words can be formal cognates only if they can be derived from a common ancestor by regular sound laws."
- 9 Relating to mere manipulation and construction of strings of symbols, without regard to their meaning.
"Formal series are defined without any reference to convergence."
Adjective
- 1 refined or imposing in manner or appearance; befitting a royal court wordnet
- 2 being in accord with established forms and conventions and requirements (as e.g. of formal dress) wordnet
- 3 (of spoken and written language) adhering to traditional standards of correctness and without casual, contracted, and colloquial forms wordnet
- 4 logically deductive wordnet
- 5 characteristic of or befitting a person in authority wordnet
Show 1 more definition
- 6 represented in simplified or symbolic form wordnet
Synonyms
All synonyms academic analysisacademic communitiesacademic community eventsacademic community leadersacademic community resourcesacademic concept
Antonyms
Example
"I utterly despise formal writing!"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "formal"?
Common synonyms include: academic analysis, academic communities, academic community events, academic community leaders, academic community resources, academic concept.
How do you use "formal" in a sentence?
I utterly despise formal writing!
How do you pronounce "formal"?
Pronounced /ˈfɔɹməl/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English formel, borrowed from Old French formel, from Latin fōrmālis, from fōrma (“form”); equivalent to form + -al.
Etymology 2
See formo-.