: compliance with formal or conventional rules : ceremony
2
: the quality or state of being formal
3
: an established form or procedure that is required or conventional
the interview was just a formality
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Formal behavior follows the proper forms or customs, and informal behavior feels free to ignore them. The formality of a dinner party is indicated by such formalities as invitations, required dress, and full table settings. Legal formalities, or technicalities, may turn out to be all-important even if they often seem minor. America requires fewer formalities than many other countries (in Germany, for example, you may know someone for years before using his or her first name), but even in relaxed situations Americans may be observing invisible formalities.
Her use of old-fashioned language lends an air of formality to her writing.
He failed to appreciate the formality of the occasion.
They haven't approved the loan yet, but that's just a mere formality.
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The game itself is, really, somewhat of a formality for Town.—Michael Cox, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025 The regular season was but a formality, with another division title a foregone conclusion.—Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025 Andrey Lugovoi, deputy chairman of the State Duma's security committee, said Moscow's withdrawal from the convention would be a formality, as Russia had already withdrawn from the Council of Europe.—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025 López Lizano spoke with a kind of halting formality, which charmed her.—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for formality
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