Standard Lemma guide

format

noun · verb · 12 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

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.

  • UK: /ˈfɔː(ɹ).mæt/
  • US: /ˈfɔːɹ.mæt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: F AO1 R M AE2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The layout of a publication or document.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The form of presentation of something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The type of programming that a radio station broadcasts; such as a certain genre of music, news, sports, talk, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: broadcasting, media, radio

Examples

  • The radio station changed the format of its evening program.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A file type.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To create or edit the layout of a document.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

Change a document so it will fit onto a different type of page.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To prepare a mass storage medium for initial use, erasing any existing data in the process.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • I lost weeks of work when I inadvertently formatted my hard drive.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

the general appearance of a publication

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: appearance, visual aspect

9

noun

Meaning 9

the organization of information according to preset specifications (usually for computer processing)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: formatting, data format, data formatting

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: information, info

Narrower terms: high-level formatting, low-level formatting, initialization, initialisation

10

verb

Meaning 10

divide (a disk) into marked sectors so that it may store data

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Please format this disk before entering data!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: initialize, initialise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: divide, split, split up, separate, dissever, carve up

11

verb

Meaning 11

determine the arrangement of (data) for storage and display (in computer science)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: determine, set

12

verb

Meaning 12

set (printed matter) into a specific format

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Format this letter so it can be printed out

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: arrange

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change

Narrower terms: indent, rubricate

History

Etymology

Via French format and German Format, from New Latin liber fōrmātus (“book fashioned”), from fōrmō (“to shape, fashion”).

Across languages

Translations

148 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: ձեւաչափ (jewačʻapʻ) — layout of a document
  • Assamese: আৰ্হি (arhi) — layout of a document
  • Bulgarian: формат (format) — layout of a document
  • Catalan: format — layout of a document
  • Chinese Mandarin: 格式 (géshì) — layout of a document
  • Chinese Mandarin: 開本 /开本 (kāiběn) — layout of a document
  • Dutch: lay-out — layout of a document
  • Dutch: formaat — layout of a document
  • Esperanto: formato — layout of a document
  • Esperanto: aranĝo — layout of a document
  • Finnish: muoto — layout of a document
  • Finnish: formaatti — layout of a document
  • French: format — layout of a document
  • German: Format — layout of a document
  • Icelandic: lögun — layout of a document
  • Icelandic: form — layout of a document
  • Icelandic: snið — layout of a document
  • Ido: formato — layout of a document
  • Italian: formato — layout of a document
  • Japanese: 書式 (shoshiki) — layout of a document
  • Japanese: フォーマット (fōmatto) — layout of a document
  • Kazakh: пішім (pışım) — layout of a document
  • Korean: 포맷 (pomaet) — layout of a document
  • Māori: hōputu — layout of a document
  • Māori: takoto — layout of a document
  • Norman: format — layout of a document
  • Polish: układ — layout of a document
  • Polish: format — layout of a document
  • Portuguese: formato — layout of a document
  • Punjabi: ਖਾਕਾ ਢਾਂਚਾ (khākā) — layout of a document
  • Romanian: format — layout of a document
  • Russian: форма́т (formát) — layout of a document
  • Spanish: formato — layout of a document
  • Swedish: format — layout of a document
  • Vietnamese: khổ (sách, giấy, bìa) — layout of a document
  • Armenian: ձեւաչափ (jewačʻapʻ) — form of presentation
  • Catalan: format — form of presentation
  • Czech: formát — form of presentation
  • Dutch: formaat — form of presentation
  • Dutch: format — form of presentation
  • Dutch: vorm — form of presentation
  • Finnish: esitysmuoto — form of presentation
  • Finnish: muoto — form of presentation
  • Finnish: formaatti — form of presentation
  • Finnish: ohjelmaformaatti — form of presentation
  • French: format — form of presentation
  • German: Struktur — form of presentation
  • German: Format — form of presentation
  • Icelandic: lögun — form of presentation
  • Icelandic: form — form of presentation
  • Icelandic: snið — form of presentation
  • Māori: takoto — form of presentation
  • Māori: hōputu — form of presentation
  • Portuguese: formato — form of presentation
  • Russian: структу́ра (struktúra) — form of presentation
  • Russian: форма́т (formát) — form of presentation
  • Spanish: formato — form of presentation
  • Armenian: ֆորմատ (format) — computing: file type
  • Armenian: ձեւաչափ (jewačʻapʻ) — computing: file type
  • Bulgarian: формат (format) — computing: file type
  • Catalan: format — computing: file type
  • Chinese Mandarin: 格式 (géshì) — computing: file type
  • Czech: formát — computing: file type
  • Dutch: bestandstype — computing: file type
  • Dutch: bestandsformaat — computing: file type
  • Esperanto: formato — computing: file type
  • Finnish: tietomuoto — computing: file type
  • Finnish: tallennusmuoto — computing: file type
  • Finnish: tiedostomuoto — computing: file type
  • Finnish: formaatti — computing: file type
  • French: format — computing: file type
  • German: Format — computing: file type
  • Icelandic: forsnið — computing: file type
  • Italian: format — computing: file type
  • Japanese: 形式 (keishiki) — computing: file type
  • Japanese: フォーマット (fōmatto) — computing: file type
  • Kazakh: пішім (pışım) — computing: file type
  • Māori: hōputu — computing: file type
  • Marathi: फॉरमॅट (phŏrmĕṭ) — computing: file type
  • Marathi: स्वरूप (svarūp) — computing: file type
  • Norman: format — computing: file type
  • Portuguese: formato — computing: file type
  • Romanian: format — computing: file type
  • Russian: форма́т (formát) — computing: file type
  • Spanish: formato — computing: file type
  • Swedish: format — computing: file type
  • Swedish: filformat — computing: file type
  • Vietnamese: định dạng — computing: file type
  • Vietnamese: dạng thức — computing: file type
  • Vietnamese: kiểu — computing: file type
  • Bulgarian: форматирам (formatiram) — create or edit the layout of a document
  • Catalan: formatar — create or edit the layout of a document
  • Dutch: lay-outen — create or edit the layout of a document
  • Dutch: ontwerpen — create or edit the layout of a document
  • Finnish: muotoilla — create or edit the layout of a document
  • Hungarian: formáz — create or edit the layout of a document
  • Hungarian: megformáz — create or edit the layout of a document
  • Māori: hōputu — create or edit the layout of a document
  • Māori: whakahōputu — create or edit the layout of a document
  • Polish: formatować — create or edit the layout of a document
  • Portuguese: formatar — create or edit the layout of a document
  • Russian: формати́ровать (formatírovatʹ) — create or edit the layout of a document
  • Spanish: formatear — create or edit the layout of a document
  • Swedish: formatera — create or edit the layout of a document
  • Ukrainian: форматува́ти (formatuváty) — create or edit the layout of a document
  • Ukrainian: відформато́вувати (vidformatóvuvaty) — create or edit the layout of a document
  • Ukrainian: відформатува́ти (vidformatuváty) — create or edit the layout of a document
  • Vietnamese: thiết kế — create or edit the layout of a document
  • Catalan: formatar — change a document so it will fit onto a different type of page
  • Dutch: aanpassen — change a document so it will fit onto a different type of page
  • Finnish: formatoida — change a document so it will fit onto a different type of page
  • Hungarian: átszerkeszt — change a document so it will fit onto a different type of page
  • Hungarian: átformáz — change a document so it will fit onto a different type of page
  • Swedish: formatera — change a document so it will fit onto a different type of page
  • Vietnamese: sắp xếp lại — change a document so it will fit onto a different type of page
  • Bulgarian: форматирам (formatiram) — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Catalan: formatar — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Chinese Mandarin: 格式化 (géshìhuà) — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Czech: formátovat — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Czech: naformátovat — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Dutch: formatteren — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Finnish: alustaa — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Finnish: formatoida — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • French: formater — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • German: formatieren — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Greek: διαμόρφωση (diamórfosi) — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Hungarian: formattál — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Hungarian: formáz — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Hungarian: megformáz — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Icelandic: forsníða — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Icelandic: strauja — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Icelandic: formatta — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Italian: formattare — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Japanese: 初期化する (shokika suru) — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Japanese: フォーマットする (fōmatto suru) — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Māori: whakahōputu — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Māori: takarite — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Polish: formatować — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Polish: sformatować — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Portuguese: formatar — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Romanian: formata — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Russian: формати́ровать (formatírovatʹ) — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Spanish: formatear — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Swedish: formatera — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Ukrainian: форматува́ти (formatuváty) — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Ukrainian: відформато́вувати (vidformatóvuvaty) — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Ukrainian: відформатува́ти (vidformatuváty) — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
  • Welsh: trefnu — computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
Real reading context

format in complete knowledge articles