formal
/ˈfɔɹməl/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.45 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
adj
adj
Proper, according to strict etiquette; not casual.
adj
In accordance with a methodological framework with well-defined rules or laws; rigorous.
Example Sentences
- "She spoke formal English, without any dialect."
- "I'd like to make a formal complaint."
- "Formal linguistics ignores the vocabulary of languages and focuses solely on their grammar."
- "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."
- "The formal stage is a critical part of any child's development."
- "Formal wear must be worn at my wedding!"
Etymology
From Middle English formel, borrowed from Old French formel, from Latin fōrmālis, from fōrma (“form”); equivalent to form + -al.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈfɔɹməl/
- British English: /ˈfɔːməl/