formality

English

Etymology

From Middle French formalité. equivalent to formal +‎ -ity.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɔːrˈmælɪti/
• Rhymes: -ælɪti

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

formality (countable and uncountable, plural formalities)

1. (uncountable) The state of being formal.
   • 1874, Georg August Schweinfurth, chapter I, in Ellen E. Frewer, transl., The Heart of Africa: Three Years' Travels and Adventures in the Unexplored Regions of Central Africa, from 1868 to 1871‎^[1], second edition, volume I, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Low, And Searle, translation of Im Herzen von Afrika, Botanical Ardour:

     [S]uch an one […] recalls as a vision of Paradise the land he has learnt to love; he exaggerates the insalubrity of a northern climate; he bewails the wretched formality of our civilised life, and so, back to the distant solitudes flies his recollection like a dove to the wilderness.

2. Something said or done as a matter of form.
3. A customary ritual without substance, real consequence, or unique meaning.

   The examination for priesthood is no mere formality, so we have to study well.

4. (countable) A specific requirement for obtaining a legal status, conducting a transaction, etc.

Translations

The state of being formal

• Bulgarian: формализъм (bg) m (formalizǎm)
• Catalan: formalitat f, formalisme m
• Danish: formalitet c, højtidelighed c, stivhed c
• French: formalité (fr) f
• Galician: formalidade (gl) f
• Georgian: ფორმალურობა (pormaluroba)
• Irish: foirmiúlacht f
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: formalitet (no) m

  Nynorsk: formalitet m

• Russian: форма́льность (ru) f (formálʹnostʹ)
• Spanish: formalidad (es) f
• Swedish: formalitet (sv) c
• Turkish: formalite (tr), ciddiyet (tr), resmiyet (tr), sizlibizlilik

Something said or done as a matter of form

• Esperanto: formalaĵo
• Swedish: formalitet (sv) c

A customary ritual without new or unique meaning

• Arabic: شَكْلِيَّة f (šakliyya)
• German: Formalität (de) f
• Swedish: formalitet (sv) c

specific requirement

• Catalan: formalitat f
• Danish: formalitet c
• Finnish: muodollisuudet, formaliteetit
• French: formalité (fr) f
• Galician: formalidade (gl) f
• Georgian: ფორმალობა (pormaloba)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: formalitet (no) m

  Nynorsk: formalitet m

• Spanish: formalidad (es) f
• Swedish: formalia (sv) c pl

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Czech: formalita f
• Dutch: formaliteit (nl) f
• German: Formalie (de) f
• Portuguese: formalidade (pt)
• Serbo-Croatian: formálnōst (sh) f
• Swedish: formalitet (sv)

Further reading

• “formality”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “formality”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “formality”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.