adj.
- done in accordance with rules of convention or etiquette.
▸having a conventionally recognized form, structure, or set of rules:
he had little formal education.
▸of or denoting a style of writing or public speaking characterized by more elaborate grammatical structures and more conservative and technical vocabulary.
- officially recognized:
a formal complaint.
- of or concerned with outward form rather than content.
▸having a form or appearance but no true function:
the committee stage would be purely formal.
▸relating to linguistic or logical form as opposed to function or meaning.
n.
N. Amer. an evening dress.
▸an occasion on which evening dress is worn.
Derivative
Etymology
ME: from L. formalis, from forma (see form).