Added 9 October 2026
formal
/ˈfɔɹməl/ noun
Latin root: fōrmālis Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about formal at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
adjective
-
Being in accord with established forms and conventions and requirements (as e.g. of formal dress).
pay one's formal respects
-
Characteristic of or befitting a person in authority.
formal duties
-
(of spoken and written language) adhering to traditional standards of correctness and without casual, contracted, and colloquial forms.
the paper was written in formal English
Origin
From Middle English formel, borrowed from Old French formel, from Latin fōrmālis, from fōrma (“form”); equivalent to form + -al.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)