- (of a style of dress, speech, writing, behaviour, etc.) very correct and suitable for official or important occasions
- ladies in formal evening wear
- The dinner was a formal affair.
- He kept the tone of the letter formal and businesslike.
- His manner was stiffly formal.
Extra ExamplesTopics Clothes and Fashiona2- Her words sounded oddly formal.
- The greeting was polite, almost formal.
- He insisted on formal dress for dinner.
- Howard has a rather formal way of speaking.
- In those days, tutors were formal and distant.
- She has a very formal manner, which can seem unfriendly.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- seem
- sound
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
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- official; following an agreed or official way of doing things
- formal legal processes
- to make a formal complaint
- There has been no formal announcement of her resignation yet.
- There followed a formal request for military aid.
- Formal diplomatic relations between the two countries were re-established in December.
- It is time to put these arrangements on a slightly more formal basis.
Extra Examples- On receipt of a formal complaint the inspectorate is required to investigate.
- Once the loan has been approved we'll send a formal agreement for you to sign.
- The government has lodged a formal diplomatic protest about the decision.
- The organization is not a formal political party.
- The two governments announced their formal acceptance of the scheme.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- seem
- sound
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- (of education or training) received in a school, college or university, with lessons, exams, etc., rather than gained just through practical experience
- He has no formal teaching qualifications.
- Young children are beginning their formal education as early as four years old.
- Inness received little formal artistic training.
- connected with the way something is done rather than what is done
- Getting approval for the plan is a purely formal matter; nobody will seriously oppose it.
- The monarch retains largely formal duties.
- Critics have concentrated too much on the formal elements of her poetry, without really looking at what it is saying.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- merely
- purely
- largely
- …
- (of a garden, room or building) arranged in a regular manner, according to a clear, exact plan
- delightful formal gardens, with terraced lawns and an avenue of trees
- Large French doors on the first floor open out onto a formal garden.
opposite informal
Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin formalis, from forma ‘shape, mould’.
Check pronunciation:
formal