formal

for•mal

[[t]ˈfɔr məl[/t]] adj.

1) being in accordance with the usual requirements, customs, etc.; conventional:

to pay one's formal respects[/ex]

2) marked by form or ceremony:

a formal occasion[/ex]

3) clo designed for wear or use at elaborate ceremonial or social events:

The invitation specified formal attire[/ex]

4) clo requiring dress suitable for elaborate social events:

a formal dance[/ex]

5) observant of conventional requirements of behavior, procedure, etc., as persons; punctilious

6) excessively ceremonious; prim; decorous

7) being a matter of form only; perfunctory:

formal courtesy[/ex]

8) made or done in accordance with procedures that ensure validity:

a formal authorization[/ex]

9) of, pertaining to, or emphasizing the organization or composition of the constituent elements in a work of art perceived separately from its subject matter:

the formal structure of a poem[/ex]

10) acquired in school; academic

11) symmetrical or highly organized:

a formal garden[/ex]

12) ling. of or pertaining to language use typical of impersonal and official situations, characterized by adherence to traditional standards of correctness, often complex vocabulary and syntax, and the avoidance of contractions and colloquial expressions

13) pertaining to the form, shape, or mode of a thing, esp. as distinguished from the substance:

formal writing[/ex]

14) being such merely in appearance or name; nominal:

a formal head of state[/ex]

15) math. Math.

a) (of a proof) in strict logical form with a justification for every step

b) (of a calculation) correct in form; made with strict justification for every step

16) a dance or ball that requires formal attire

17) clo an evening gown

18) clo in formal attire

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Etymology: 1350–1400; ME < L for′mal•ly, adv. for′mal•ness, n.