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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.
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Examples of formality in a Sentence
Roger Cohen, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
What is the range of formality from one dining experience to another?
—Jessica Carbone, Saveur, 18 Apr. 2024
If anything, this dimension of the plot seems the least developed, seeing as how audiences have grown desensitized to rogue agents disregarding the formalities (and laws) of war.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 16 Apr. 2024
The Associated Press called the races for both presumptive nominees minutes after initial vote tallies were released, bringing a swift ending to a contest long viewed as a formality in a swing state before a rematch of the 2020 election this fall.
—Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 19 Mar. 2024
One of the lures is that unlike conventional sperm banks, these prospective parents and sperm donors have the chance to get to know each other, yet there are very few legal formalities that take place.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 30 Mar. 2024
But the lack of workplace formality is clearly frustrating employers who are increasingly sending their staffers on etiquette training classes.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2024
When, at Flynn’s insistence, a one-on-one finally does occur, something like the truth starts to emerge just as the dance of formality fades.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024
His death came weeks before the country’s presidential elections scheduled to begin nationwide on March 15, which is widely seen by the international community as little more than a formality that will secure Putin a fifth term in power.
—Jack Guy, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'formality.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Formality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/formality. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
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formality
noun
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