formal
formal Lexical Profile
formal Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Done in accordance with rules of convention or etiquette; suitable for or constituting an official or important situation or occasion.
"The guests were asked to wear formal attire to the charity gala."
Officially sanctioned, recognized, or structured, rather than casual or ad hoc.
"Although she had little formal training in art, her paintings were remarkably skilled."
Stiff, reserved, or overly methodical in manner or behavior; lacking warmth or spontaneity.
"His greeting was polite but decidedly formal, keeping the visitors at arm's length."
Relating to outward form, structure, or logical arrangement as distinguished from content or substance.
"The critic focused on the formal elements of the poem, such as its meter and rhyme scheme."
• noun
A social event, dance, or dinner requiring formal attire such as evening gowns or tuxedos.
"The university students bought tickets for the spring formal at the grand hotel."
North American An evening gown or other garment worn for a formal occasion.
"She spent the afternoon shopping for a floor-length formal to wear to the banquet."
• Rhymes for formal
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in late Middle English from Latin 'formalis', from 'forma' meaning 'form, shape, or model'.