Did you know?
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.
Examples of formality in a Sentence
Dan Sullivan, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
According to Drake, the objective was never to replicate the formality sometimes associated with wine culture, but to create an environment where both newcomers and seasoned collectors felt equally welcomed.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
Ascribing the name Morès to the garden was not just a matter of access to the space with a seal of formality—and about honoring the widow’s formidable husband.
—Literary Hub, 17 Feb. 2026
Without real competition, elections risk going from true exercises in popular sovereignty to a mere administrative formality.
—Charlie Hunt, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for formality
Cite this Entry
“Formality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/formality. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
formality
noun
