for·mal 
(fôr
m
l)
KEY ADJECTIVE:
- Relating to or involving outward form or structure.
- Being or relating to essential form or constitution: a formal principle.
- Following or being in accord with accepted forms, conventions, or regulations: had little formal education; went to a formal party.
- Executed, carried out, or done in proper or regular form: a formal reprimand; a formal document.
- Characterized by strict or meticulous observation of forms; methodical: very formal in their business transactions.
- Stiffly ceremonious: a formal manner; a formal greeting; a formal bow to the monarch.
- Having the outward appearance but lacking in substance: a formal requirement that is usually ignored.
NOUN: - Something, such as a gown or social affair, that is formal in nature.
ETYMOLOGY:Middle English, from Latin
f
rm
lis, from
frma,
shapeOTHER FORMS:formal·ly(Adverb),
formal·ness(Noun)
