Formally

//ˈfɔː.mə.li// adv

adv ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adverb

1
In a formal manner.
"He was dressed too formally for the occasion."
2
In accordance with official procedure.
"He formally filed a complaint, which involved much paperwork."
3
In accordance with rigorous rules.
"He proved it formally but gave his students no intuitive feel for the matter."

Adverb

1
in a formal manner wordnet
2
with official authorization wordnet

Synonyms

earnestly gravely grimly officially officially seriously

Antonyms

Example

"I don't believe we've been formally introduced."

Etymology

From formal + -ly.

Related phrases

address formally

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.