adv
Meaning 1
In a formal manner.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- He was dressed too formally for the occasion.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
formally
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Received-Pronunciation: /ˈfɔː.mə.li/
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Received-Pronunciation: /ˈfɔːm.li/
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London: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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Canada, General-American: /ˈfɔɹ.mə.li/
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Australian: /ˈfoː.mə.li/
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homophone: formerly (non-rhotic)
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CMU ARPABET: F AO1 R M AH0 L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adv
Meaning 2
In accordance with official procedure.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- He formally filed a complaint, which involved much paperwork.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adv
Meaning 3
In accordance with rigorous rules.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- He proved it formally but gave his students no intuitive feel for the matter.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adverb
Meaning 4
in a formal manner
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- he was dressed rather formally
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: informally
adverb
Meaning 5
with official authorization
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- the club will be formally recognized
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: officially
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English formal Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English formally From formal + -ly.
Across languages
Translations
31 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: формално (formalno) — in a formal manner
- Catalan: formalment — in a formal manner
- Czech: formálně — in a formal manner
- Dutch: formeel — in a formal manner
- Finnish: muodollisesti — in a formal manner
- Finnish: virallisesti — in a formal manner
- Finnish: juhlallisesti — in a formal manner
- Finnish: formaalisti — in a formal manner
- French: formellement — in a formal manner
- Galician: formalmente — in a formal manner
- Italian: formalmente — in a formal manner
- Portuguese: formalmente — in a formal manner
- Russian: форма́льно (formálʹno) — in a formal manner
- Spanish: formalmente — in a formal manner
- Afrikaans: formeel — in accordance with official procedure
- Bulgarian: официално (oficialno) — in accordance with official procedure
- Catalan: formalment — in accordance with official procedure
- Czech: formálně — in accordance with official procedure
- Dutch: formeel — in accordance with official procedure
- Finnish: virallisesti — in accordance with official procedure
- Finnish: muodollisesti — in accordance with official procedure
- Italian: ufficialmente — in accordance with official procedure
- Spanish: formalmente — in accordance with official procedure
- Afrikaans: formeel — in accordance with rigorous rules
- Bulgarian: формално (formalno) — in accordance with rigorous rules
- Catalan: formalment — in accordance with rigorous rules
- Czech: formálně — in accordance with rigorous rules
- Dutch: formeel — in accordance with rigorous rules
- Finnish: formaalisti — in accordance with rigorous rules
- Italian: rigorosamente — in accordance with rigorous rules
- Spanish: formalmente — in accordance with rigorous rules
Real reading context