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formal
for·mal / ˈfôrməl/ • adj. 1. done in accordance with rules of convention or etiquette; suitable for or constituting an official or important situation or occasion: a formal dinner party. ∎ (of a person or their manner) prim or stiff. ∎ of or denoting a style of writing or public speaking characterized by more elaborate grammatical structures and more conservative and technical vocabulary. ∎ (esp. of a house or garden) arranged in a regular, classical, and symmetrical manner. 2. officially sanctioned or recognized: a formal complaint. ∎ having a conventionally recognized form, structure, or set of rules: he had little formal education. 3. of or concerned with outward form or appearance, esp. as distinct from content or matter: I don't know enough about art to appreciate the purely formal qualities. ∎ having the form or appearance without the spirit: his sacrifice will be more formal than real. ∎ of or relating to linguistic or logical form as opposed to function or meaning. • n. an evening gown. ∎ an occasion on which evening dress is worn. |
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"formal." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "formal." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-formal.html "formal." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-formal.html |
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FORMAL
FORMAL. A term concerned with: (1) Structure and order: a formal education, formal grammar. (2) More or less elevated and stylized ceremonial: a formal dinner, formal and informal meetings. (3) Style and usage of a relatively elevated and impersonal kind: a highly formal writing style; ‘receive’ a more formal word than ‘get’.
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TOM McARTHUR. "FORMAL." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. TOM McARTHUR. "FORMAL." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O29-FORMAL.html TOM McARTHUR. "FORMAL." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 1998. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O29-FORMAL.html |
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formal
formal The name of a stratigraphic unit or taxon is formal when it has been established according to the conventional principles of nomenclature and is being used in the sense of a proper name, e.g. Barremian Stage, Osteichthyes (bony fish). In formal use the initial letter is capitalized. Compare INFORMAL.
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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "formal." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "formal." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-formal.html AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "formal." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-formal.html |
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Formal
Formal (Formael) Meath. ‘Bare round hill’.
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A. D. MILLS. "Formal." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. A. D. MILLS. "Formal." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O40-Formal.html A. D. MILLS. "Formal." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O40-Formal.html |
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formal
formal
•sewellel
•camel, enamel, entrammel, mammal, trammel
•miasmal, phantasmal
•Carmel
•abysmal, baptismal, catechismal, dismal, paroxysmal
•animal • minimal • lachrymal
•maximal
•decimal, infinitesimal
•septimal • optimal • primal • Rommel
•abnormal, conformal, formal, normal, paranormal, subnormal
•chromosomal • Kümmel
•Brummell, pommel, pummel
•epidermal, geothermal, isothermal, pachydermal, taxidermal, thermal
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Cite this article
"formal." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "formal." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-formal.html "formal." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-formal.html |
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