1
: the shape, size, and general makeup (as of something printed)
2
: general plan of organization, arrangement, or choice of material (as for a television show)
3
: a method of organizing data (as for storage)
various file formats
formatted; formatting
1
: to arrange (something, such as material to be printed or stored data) in a particular format
2
: to prepare (something, such as a computer disk) for storing data in a particular format
formatter
noun
Synonyms
Examples of format in a Sentence
Noun
The journals are available in electronic format.
The file is saved in MP3 format.
Verb
The book is formatted in several different styles.
The data was improperly formatted.
Recent Examples on the Web
Anna Tingley, Variety, 18 Sep. 2023
Famously, or perhaps infamously, Ole Miss has never played in the SEC championship game since the league went to its two-division format in 1992.
—Joseph Goodman | Jgoodman@al.com, al, 18 Sep. 2023
The album will arrive in a variety of formats, including CD, as a double LP on black vinyl, red vinyl (at Offset’s store) and olive green vinyl (exclusive to Spotify), and four different box sets.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2023
There’s no word on if it will be released in any physical formats, such as CD, vinyl or cassette.
—Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 13 Sep. 2023
In an unexpected-but-wise move, there was no attempt to update the song’s arrangement into a digital or non-acoustic format.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 13 Sep. 2023
Beyond DVDs, Scarecrow video also offers Blu-ray, VHS, and laser disc formats too.
—Josh Hendrickson, PCMAG, 13 Sep. 2023
The Rolling Stones were early to the cheap, randomized ticket format.
—Jasmine Li, Fortune, 13 Sep. 2023
The records and reports were put in digital format in 2003, and spreadsheets included every report that was generated during the investigation.
—Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 13 Sep. 2023
Shreyas Sen, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2023
Moore’s Law was a surprisingly small part of Nvidia’s magic and new number formats a very large part.
—IEEE Spectrum, 7 Sep. 2023
Software companies could use it for routine code like API calls or to dependably format and complete snippets of code.
—Wes Davis, The Verge, 22 Aug. 2023
There are formatting concerns, data integrity concerns, connectivity concerns, political concerns if different groups control different assets and expertise concerns.
—Mike Fitzmaurice, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2023
The department rejected the petition because it wasn’t correctly formatted, spokesman Harry Esteve said.
—oregonlive, 31 July 2023
Valve had major issues with failing microSD cards on the Steam Deck, too, though those were eventually traced to SteamOS formatting them prematurely, not initially letting users software-eject them, and some SD cards that were too far past their prime.
—Sean Hollister, The Verge, 29 June 2023
Much of my work as a crossword editor consists of formatting ideas and definitions into the peculiar and specific syntax of our house style, and this new game, with its stand-alone words, didn’t allow for the space I was accustomed to in order to express meaning.
—Wyna Liu, New York Times, 26 June 2023
Tina is, viewed side-by-side with the other documentaries on this list, close to conventionally chronological and formatted around numerous on-camera interviews, including with Turner herself.
—Kenny Herzog, Vulture, 12 June 2023
See More
Noun
The popular show includes a new format this season, with three groups followed by Battle Royale semi-final episodes.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 18 Sep. 2023
Famously, or perhaps infamously, Ole Miss has never played in the SEC championship game since the league went to its two-division format in 1992.
—Joseph Goodman | Jgoodman@al.com, al, 18 Sep. 2023
The album will arrive in a variety of formats, including CD, as a double LP on black vinyl, red vinyl (at Offset’s store) and olive green vinyl (exclusive to Spotify), and four different box sets.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2023
There’s no word on if it will be released in any physical formats, such as CD, vinyl or cassette.
—Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 13 Sep. 2023
In an unexpected-but-wise move, there was no attempt to update the song’s arrangement into a digital or non-acoustic format.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 13 Sep. 2023
Beyond DVDs, Scarecrow video also offers Blu-ray, VHS, and laser disc formats too.
—Josh Hendrickson, PCMAG, 13 Sep. 2023
The Rolling Stones were early to the cheap, randomized ticket format.
—Jasmine Li, Fortune, 13 Sep. 2023
The records and reports were put in digital format in 2003, and spreadsheets included every report that was generated during the investigation.
—Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 13 Sep. 2023
Verb
Connectors use a variety of data transfer protocols – sets of rules for formatting and handling data – such as the USB and Thunderbolt protocols.
—Shreyas Sen, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2023
Moore’s Law was a surprisingly small part of Nvidia’s magic and new number formats a very large part.
—IEEE Spectrum, 7 Sep. 2023
Software companies could use it for routine code like API calls or to dependably format and complete snippets of code.
—Wes Davis, The Verge, 22 Aug. 2023
There are formatting concerns, data integrity concerns, connectivity concerns, political concerns if different groups control different assets and expertise concerns.
—Mike Fitzmaurice, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2023
The department rejected the petition because it wasn’t correctly formatted, spokesman Harry Esteve said.
—oregonlive, 31 July 2023
Valve had major issues with failing microSD cards on the Steam Deck, too, though those were eventually traced to SteamOS formatting them prematurely, not initially letting users software-eject them, and some SD cards that were too far past their prime.
—Sean Hollister, The Verge, 29 June 2023
Much of my work as a crossword editor consists of formatting ideas and definitions into the peculiar and specific syntax of our house style, and this new game, with its stand-alone words, didn’t allow for the space I was accustomed to in order to express meaning.
—Wyna Liu, New York Times, 26 June 2023
Tina is, viewed side-by-side with the other documentaries on this list, close to conventionally chronological and formatted around numerous on-camera interviews, including with Turner herself.
—Kenny Herzog, Vulture, 12 June 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'format.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing format
Dictionary Entries Near format
Cite this Entry
“Format.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/format. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
format
1 of 2 noun
for·mat
ˈfȯ(ə)r-ˌmat 
1
: the general organization or arrangement of something
2
: a method of organizing data (as for storage)
a file format
format
2 of 2 verb
formatted; formatting
1
: to produce in a particular format
2
: to prepare for storing computer data
format the disk
More from Merriam-Webster on format
Nglish: Translation of format for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of format for Arabic Speakers
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