English adjective: formal | |||
1. | formal being in accord with established forms and conventions and requirements (as e.g. of formal dress) | ||
Samples | Pay one's formal respects. Formal dress. A formal ball. The requirement was only formal and often ignored. A formal education. | ||
Similar | black-tie, buckram, ceremonial, ceremonious, conventional, dress, dress, form-only, full-dress, full-dress, nominal, perfunctory, positive, prescribed, pro forma, semi-formal, semiformal, starchy, stiff, titular, white-tie | ||
See also | conventional, formal | ||
Attribute | formality, formalness | ||
Antonyms | informal | ||
2. | formal characteristic of or befitting a person in authority | ||
Samples | Formal duties. An official banquet. | ||
Similar | official | ||
Antonyms | unofficial | ||
3. | formal (of spoken and written language) adhering to traditional standards of correctness and without casual, contracted, and colloquial forms | ||
Samples | The paper was written in formal English. | ||
Similar | literary | ||
See also | formal, rhetorical | ||
Attribute | formality, formalness | ||
Antonyms | informal | ||
4. | formal represented in simplified or symbolic form | ||
Synonyms | conventional, schematic | ||
Similar | nonrepresentational | ||
Domain category | beaux arts, fine arts | ||
Antonyms | representational | ||
5. | formal logically deductive | ||
Samples | Formal proof. | ||
Similar | logical | ||
Antonyms | illogical, unlogical | ||
6. | formal refined or imposing in manner or appearance; befitting a royal court | ||
Samples | A courtly gentleman. | ||
Synonyms | courtly, stately | ||
Similar | dignified | ||
Antonyms | undignified | ||
English noun: formal | |||
1. | formal (event) a lavish dance requiring formal attire | ||
Synonyms | ball | ||
Broader (hypernym) | dance | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | cotilion, cotillion, fancy-dress ball, masked ball, masquerade ball, prom, promenade | ||
2. | formal (artifact) a gown for evening wear | ||
Synonyms | dinner dress, dinner gown, evening gown | ||
Broader (hypernym) | evening clothes, evening dress, eveningwear, formalwear, gown | ||