formalities

plural of formality
1
2
as in rituals
an oft-repeated action or series of actions performed in accordance with tradition or a set of rules churchgoers loved the formalities of a traditional Christmas Eve candlelight service

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of formalities The ministry handled the immigration and institutional formalities. — ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026 Transfers, formalities, excursions, and ground transportation are handled throughout. — Guy Bigiaoui, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026 Yet with all the formalities, there’s still a lot of uncertainty about just what the TIFF Market will look like. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026 Mackz has found that running can strip away some of the formalities of an interview and make space for more honest conversations. — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2026 Arfsten is expected to travel in the coming days to complete the move, pending formalities, sources say. — Tom Bogert, New York Times, 31 July 2026 During the 2000s, Villa Certosa became a global catalyst of international political discussion, while remaining at a comfortable remove from the protocols and formalities of the traditional places of government. — Mattia Ferraresi, Air Mail, 18 July 2026 Gerrymandering makes many general elections little more than formalities. — J.c. Polanco, New York Daily News, 17 July 2026 The bodies of the victims were being transported to Ho Chi Minh City before being flown to India after official formalities, according to the embassy. — CBS News, 13 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formalities
Noun
  • Small courtesies keep big efforts moving forward.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2026
  • With both courtesies and catastrophes refusing to conform, the canton’s school board, publishers, and clergy were forced to produce multiple editions of primers, textbooks, and catechisms; sometimes five parallel print runs were needed for a population the size of a town.
    — Simon Akam, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • The seeds show that cannabis played a role in the rituals surrounding the burial.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Slow beauty is the trend reshaping how younger shoppers buy skincare in 2026, swapping the 10-step routine for fewer products and more deliberate rituals.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 6 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • If they were mean, like too many real-life city council visitors, her above-and-beyond gestures could seem foolish.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The refresh rate is dynamic, reaching up to 120Hz, and the panel offers 10-point touch for finger gestures.
    — Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 4 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • Schoolchildren are taught about it in class and often sing the Green March anthem at public ceremonies.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026
  • This Sunday, a more recent Huskies star, Azzi Fudd, will return to M&T Bank Center at Gampel Pavilion to join the program’s long list of Huskies of Honor in ceremonies during UConn’s game against Iowa.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 5 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • The risk of transmission also limits contact with the patients even after death, depriving families of closure and the opportunity to observe their preferred burial rites.
    — Constant Same Bagalwa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Cremation and burial cost Japanese funerary rites involve both cremation and burial.
    — Mimi Hanaoka, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Although their mythological associations and forms of celebration differ by region, both are marked by major religious and communal observances and festivities.
    — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Most people can safely fast for Yom Kippur or other religious or cultural observances.
    — Reed Berger-Fleishman, The Conversation, 16 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Formalities.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formalities. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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