How To Use Formality In A Sentence

As far as possible, the essential meaning or substance of each oath, and the formality and solemnity of the oaths, are retained.
The thoughtful formality of etiquette is a blessed relief. Times, Sunday Times
He bowed with stiff formality and had stridden from the room before she could raise a hand to stop him. Slightly Married
In spite of her informality of manner, she was a stickler for correct attire. Times, Sunday Times
The matter was only a formality for the members at the UDC as they are fully refunded by the Department of the Environment.

Linguix Browser extension

Fix your writing
on millions of websites

Get Started
For Free Watch how it works

Your acceptance into the club will be a mere formality.
The word's warm informality also makes it usable as what might be called an adverbial noun, modified by an adjective.
The Standard-BearersHere are some of the prophets and pathfinders who helped clear away the last of the old formality, fustiness and frou-frou. Design Literacy: A Primer
When your mother asks, 'Do you want a piece of advice?' it is a mere formality. It doesn't matter if you answer yes or no. You're going to get it anyway. Erma Bombeck
Nobody is more free from the ostentatious correctness of the literary precisian, and nobody preserves so much purity and so much dignity of language with so little formality of demeanor. Voltaire
The level of formality determines the precise mode of expression.
In some ways, the official opening is a formality.
I like the informality of the modern gesture and the formality of what he is wearing. Times, Sunday Times
‘We want to break down the formality, but retain high standards,’ Sankey explains.
The fact they viewed it as such a formality makes it doubly satisfying we knocked them out. The Sun
We do not see that, while we still affect by all means a rigid external formality, we may as soon fall again into a gross conforming stupidity, a stark and dead congealment of wood and hay and stubble, forced and frozen together, which is more to the sudden degenerating of a Church than many subdichotomies of petty schisms. Areopagitica
He would not go as far as confirming his appointment, but that appears to be a mere formality. Times, Sunday Times
He speaks perfect English, eschews pomp and formality and uses the Autocue to deliver his speech with a professionalism that should make other politicians envious.
The short wispy grass stipa looks great all year round and is useful for adding neat informality. Times, Sunday Times
He bowed to her, in the distant formality of the rich, and then laughed as his hand caught on his sword, spoiling the movement.
A charming informality was one of the characteristics of this celebration.
It was further revealed that some officers would start their formality of ascertaining the number of students only after receiving the bribe amount.
With the Cold War almost over, the talks were a mere formality.
Some of the other diners were wearing sport coats and open-necked shirts, but I didn't think the atmosphere necessarily called for the formality of a jacket and tie.
Chilly formality at the top covered bloody conflict in areas contested by the armies of the two parties, as the one sought to continue its expansion, the other to halt it.
So in some cases a compromise must be made, although this should not substantially alter the overall effect of formality.
Never confuse natural informality with a license for laxity.
Take your cue from the tone set by the interviewer but err on the side of formality.
Forget stuffy formality; this restored village offers guests a taste of authentic Tuscany with added comforts. Times, Sunday Times
Her aunt, the model upon which she had been formed, was indeed the very essence of insipid formality but the boy was very pert and impudent, and prated without ceasing. The Expedition of Humphry Clinker
Other groups such as the Church of God conduct their services with much more informality and a greater display of emotion.
A partnership can be formed and operated with the minimum of formality - no written agreement is required, although it is always sensible to have one.
It was, in my case, mainly a formality, but a formality that raised important questions that I promised myself I would revisit someday.
However, the author argues that the informality and amorphousness of these networks makes it difficult to account for, and engage with, the formal (centralised and institutional) aspects of politics.
He and his brother laughed at the formality, the bad poetics. THE KILL CLAUSE
The picture has an odd formality to it, a portrait of the Madonna on death row.
By contrast, in the Orthodox Liturgy, there is an air of reverence, as well as an atmosphere of informality.
These apartments were for state occasions only - for the reception of ambassadors, for elevations and investitures - and this is reflected in the static formality of the furnishing.
On the other hand, expressions must have a minimal formality in order to be understandable at all.
The gentle formality of the house contrasts strongly with its irregular context and neighbouring suburban dwellings, but it does have precedents in New Zealand.
It is goods that are important; money and financial considerations are a mere formality. Inside Perestroika: The Future of the Soviet Economy
Lady Rachel also injected a touch of informality to the somewhat formal layout by planting drifts of daffodils and allowing them to naturalise in the long grass.
The men were far too busy zipping their libidos into quiet formality, while high fashion for women was becoming ever more elaborate and restrictive, epitomised by that most extreme of garments, the crinoline.
The time had come to cross the great divide between formality and truth.
He then announced with solemn formality, ‘On this vote, there are 65 yeas and 32 nays.’
Like the loosening of a necktie, it signaled a relaxation into informality at the end of a meal.
Your acceptance into the club will be a mere formality.
There are no traditional rules or rigid formality or fairy tale settings involving tormented love between a man and woman.
The formality of reading allows her to interact with me without uncertainty and anxiety.
It has introduced muchneeded lightness, movement and informality, and both gardeners and designers quickly latched on to the new range of planting possibilities. Times, Sunday Times
The family drops by often; so much so, in fact, that knocking on the door is a formality they no longer observe.
As the formula clearly involved some reduction in wages, this was much more than a formality.
the formality of his voice made the others pay him close attention
For Vera and her family, tea consoles; for the Wells and their set, it's a ceremony, observed like everything else, with rigid formality.
The hill was lightly talcumed with snow, glittering with crystal-like blindness, giving the impression of frigid formality; the December afternoon sun, sitting low in a field of blue, kindled a promising evening.
Accustomed to a written character, their eyes became wearied by the crabbedness and formality of type. Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine — Volume 55, No. 339, January, 1844
The arrangement was more a formality than a genuine partnership of two nations.
At board meetings you have to get used to the formality of the language.
So in some cases a compromise must be made, although this should not substantially alter the overall effect of formality.
The result is a very friendly room without the formality so often associated with many dining areas.
He was well known for his unstuffy approach and informality, which was reflected in the funeral arrangements.
But they profess to believe that informality is liberating (in spite of their tyrannical attempts to impose it). The Formal Home
She didn't like the formality of the party.
He was overwhelmed by their friendly informality.
We were both overdressed for the park, but the formality was refreshing so late in the night. The Adults
She didn't like that - the way his sudden formality put distance between them.
`Please sit down, Mr Secretary," he said, with formality, with courtesy, with a slight warmth of benignity, and returned to his papers. COUP D'ETAT
The formality of reading allows her to interact with me without uncertainty and anxiety.
Different levels of formality are appropriate in different situations.
And then Starfleet formality between Klingon and Ferengi broke down as Nog spread his arms again and Worf embraced the diminutive officer in a bearhug that Jake knew could fell a sehlat. MILLENNIUM
Projects are undertaken on a team basis and there is no rigid and inflexible formality. TOP MARKETING AND MEDIA COMPANIES IN THE UK
When the The New York Times decides to use honorific titles on second reference, it does so to establish consistency of usage and a level of diction that suggests formality and seriousness of purpose.
It's all a far cry from the formality and overblown camp of Sketch.
The arrangement was more a formality than a genuine partnership of two nations.
After 57 years in the job she has learnt how to offset the grandeur of her inherited office with an easy informality. Times, Sunday Times
Today, where society is far less regimented we expect less formality.
His place on the tour of South Africa seemed a formality but when the team was announced he had been left out. Times, Sunday Times
It is highly questionable whether the code strikes the right balance between informality and formality. Times, Sunday Times
The intricate, geometric patterns of the choreography mirror the formality of the music, steadfastly ignoring its enchantments.
Outside the bright sterility of the commissary was a corridor suggestive of hushed voices and stiff formality. A Girl's Legs Stirring The Air
The sepulchral formality of the serious restaurant was gone.
This formality is in part caused by the Czech language, which has two forms of the second-person personal pronoun.
After so many years when victory for Arsenal had become a formality there is a real edge about this derby clash. The Sun
And I like the informality of this group. The Sun
Everything is falling into the hands of the already-haves, even when it comes to resettling the landless, the qualifying criteria is to fool the illiterates who keep on applying to no avail for the sake of formality.
They were also the evolutionary years that bridged the gap between the rigid formality of the Edwardian styles and the ultimate changes that led to the knee-length dresses of 1926.
Though I am not sure Mr Blahnik altogether approves of that kind of informality.
The 60's, a decade fashion forgot, also began a trend of informality that devolved over time from slovenliness in the 90's to dishevelment in the 2000's. Roger Stone: StoneZone's 2011 Best and Worst Dressed
Its lack of formality was now depicted as a weakness, not a strength.
After so many years when victory for Arsenal had become a formality there is a real edge about this derby clash. The Sun
In my last outing I had recorded 1: 00.10 so surely it was a formality?
Mrs Kershaw was now weeping openly without the formality of a handkerchief.
Something of the devotion of the parents is clearly visible here, as well as the almost raffish informality of the Australian golden boy and heir to Kilmany Park and Craigellachie. Archive 2009-03-01
They court according to an intricate and stylised code of formality and propriety that hints at a wealth of buried emotion.
You'll have to sign the visitors' book, but it's just a formality.
'Register' is the term commonly used to describe different levels of formality in language.
The loan was arranged with little formality.
The agreement should also lay down rules for the eventual return of any deposit against damages that you ask for, and you should inform any mortgage lender - although this is usually a formality.
The result is a very friendly room without the formality so often associated with many dining areas.
It would be a formality for a representative of the Assembly to ask the Archon to propose the opening motion.
With the Cold War almost over, the talks were a mere formality.
It was when everyone knew that the role was going to Pierce Brosnan and the auditioning was a formality. Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch
The government defended its decision by pointing to the virtues of informality and expeditiousness, plus full investigatory rather than adjudicatory powers.
Overflowing with affection to his friends, and showing it in all kinds of unconventional and unexpected instances, keeping to the last a kind of youthful freshness as if he had never yet realised that he was not a boy, and shrunk from the formality and donnishness of grown-up life, he was the most refined and thoughtful of gentlemen, and in the midst of the fierce party battles of his day, with all his strong feeling of the tremendous significance of the strife, always a courteous and considerate opponent. Occasional Papers Selected from the Guardian, the Times, and the Saturday Review, 1846-1890
The conversion was a formality in line with much of that which had gone before.
He would not go as far as confirming his appointment, but that appears to be a mere formality. Times, Sunday Times
She greeted him with stiff formality.
I noticed he was dressed in formality that night, forgoing his wonted loud, showy colors I normally saw him in.
The paradox of freedom and formality leads to an intoxicating performance, which in a venue as intimate as McGarrigles leads to silent awe when ever their guitar strings are plucked in anger.
The hand with which she wrote her reply still showed the strong traces of a schoolgirl's copperplate, but her careless haste removed from it the appearance of any formality.
Her remarks were quite out of keeping with the formality of the occasion.
Michael did not suffer fools gladly and could seem aloof and distant at times, but this was his rather old-world formality.
The question was merely a formality; the answer was obvious.
That was more than a mere formality. Times, Sunday Times
For should I make the occasional mistake, should I slip a little here and there, then absolution is surely only a formality. THE CALLIGRAPHER
You've got the job. The interview will be a mere formality.
Renowned for her light-hearted disregard of formality, kicking off her shoes and chewing gum at meetings, she is reputed to have removed her wig to break the tension during key meetings.
My students are always interested in lessons which deal with what linguists call pragmatics â€ all those things about using a foreign language which go beyond grammar and vocabulary, and have more to do with nuance of meaning, casualness vs. formality, manners, inference, etc. Rambles at starchamber.com » Blog Archive » Teaching Tricks to Sea Lions
The arrangement was more a formality than a genuine partnership of two nations.
The intimacy of a proceeding in chambers, however, did not mean informality. A KING'S RANSOM
The Mad Men world makes a fetish of ornamentation and deifies mysterious artifice; our culture prizes an apathetic informality and rewards the tackiest forms of extroversion. Lesley M. M. Blume: Let's Bring Back: The MAD MEN Edition (PHOTOS, POLL)
That Iceland's team has been hewn from a nation of just 290,000 people is unlikely to encourage Vogts, who has proved already that overcoming the might of a small fishing community is no formality.
Formality comes into play with very chic suits, shirts and ties; there are also a lot of classic straw hats with feather hatbands.
Our country's psychological counseling has been in of informality and non - career a period of years.
Getting a gun licence here seems to be just a formality.
the judicial system suffered from too much technicality and formality
And typically, these committee questionnaires are really a formality.
'Register' is the term commonly used to describe different levels of formality in language.
Health and strength to you, Janice Combarelles," he said, translating the Toborko formality into Anglic. The Game Of Empire
With the Cold War almost over, the talks were a mere formality.
I strongly disagreed with her on some issues but she merited respect, and her natural popularity and her informality may also show where those of us in politics may be going wrong!
The Mad Men world makes a fetish of ornamentation and deifies mysterious artifice; our culture, on the other hand, prizes an almost apathetic informality and rewards the tackiest forms of extroversion. Lesley M. M. Blume: Let's Bring Back: The MAD MEN Edition (PHOTOS, POLL)
During this period, sitting for a photograph had a certain formality.
The formality of being made to click assent is significant, even if one is assenting to standard form contracts.
Boldly expanding his no-frills model into new markets, Stelios (he insists on first-name informality) plans to open the first easyHotel in London this year with prices from [Pound sterling] 5 a night, an easyBus fleet and easyCruise, slated to sail next summer. Next: No-Frills Pizza?
The formality and scale of her attire, her pose, and her lack of affectedness suggest class and gender and also hyperbole and overstatement.
I shook it, but could tell from the way her eyes twinkled that she was anything but a stickler for formality.
But that same informality is what gets him into the most trouble - his "shoot from the lip" style of snap decisions, giving little thought or serious consideration to a position, leading to the need for "clarifying" his former position, or even denying or contradicting it as political considerations (i.e. what his handlers) demand. The Unaffiliated Will Decide
Etiquette and formality are the antiquated attributes that make her readers swoon.
This is not so easy to practise in the informal pool, for part of its charm is its tangled informality.
So she used earthy language and tore off her wig, startling the other members of the court with her informality.
It is goods that are important; money and financial considerations are a mere formality. Inside Perestroika: The Future of the Soviet Economy
This informality is not simply neutral - the open ended product of a free association - but is directed against the formal.
He appoints no _fecial_ messenger to proclaim, by an empty formality, the commencement of war. Great Indian Chief of the West Or, Life and Adventures of Black Hawk
Elvira being examined apart, in like manner, declared that her intended husband's impatience and her own dislike to the formality of a publishment, had led them to avoid the usual mode and forms of marriage. A New England tale, and Miscellanies
The degree of formality ranged from elaborate and schematic written documents to a simple mental rehearsal of what would happen next.
He already knows he has the job so the interview is a mere formality.
While this move was presented by Swapo as a procedural formality, observers agreed that it reflected strong internal differences.
However, all are divided into different levels of formality depending on the social status of the person being addressed.
The thoughtful formality of etiquette is a blessed relief. Times, Sunday Times
Some of the people a little lower on the totem pole in Tony, Paulie, Ralph, and Johnny Sack's crews are present on the job site but are only there to run shady deals and as a formality.
In the quiet formality of this room, the basis for her suspicions seemed strangely inchoate, out of place. DREAMS OF INNOCENCE
What were called ‘Chinoiserie’ styles of alleged Asian designs were in vogue for those who wanted a lighter alternative to the formality of baroque or neoclassicism.
I found that I could be just as snobbish about cultural informality as formality. Christianity Today
The chumminess of members referring to each other by their Christian names in debate is meant to signify democratic informality.
Country house hotels promote this informal formality by eschewing hotel conventions such as reception desks and by ensuring that all drinks, meals and sundries are included in the per-night fee.
The corpulent lawyer chortled at this formality.
This swish brasserie matches the five-star credentials of the Balmoral hotel, but adds a delightful whiff of informality.
Other groups such as the Church of God conduct their services with much more informality and a greater display of emotion.
That question of formality or informality of style is the question you should judge on when to use them. Times, Sunday Times
Come London, a gold medal seems a formality. Times, Sunday Times
There's no time for formality in everyday life.
The formality is not dry or overworked, the occasionality never sentimental or gratuit. ANOTHER REASON TO READ ABOUT THE PELICAN'S DREAMS!
Projects are undertaken on a team basis and there is no rigid and inflexible formality. TOP MARKETING AND MEDIA COMPANIES IN THE UK
I might simply say that G-7 meetings, although we're in favor of the idea of informality, that's something that's always stressed in the case of the summits. Background Briefing On Mitterrand Meeting
Undoubtedly the human animal in his/her social interactions feels safer when a certain degree of formality is observed.
There is a laid-back informality to the food, which is mostly served in traditional Spanish baked clay bowls.
Wall coverings include florals, ticking, toile, and moirés depending on the level of formality.
Social interaction is governed by norms emphasizing respect and formality and marking age, gender, status, and class differences.
No matter if you find this kind of informality to be appropriate or not, it seems to resonate more than not [with consumers]. Women Grow Business » PR Drivel: There’s a Better Way to Communicate with Your Stakeholders
Their bestowal was a mere formality, and Yoritomo resigned them in a few days, preferring to be nominated so-tsuihoshi. A History of the Japanese People From the Earliest Times to the End of the Meiji Era
I was quite amused at the formality and mildly curious at what the experience would be like.
She was a stickler for formality and any transgression against the rules and regulations angered her.
Packing for a bareboat charter is made even easier by Australia's famous informality.
a mere formality
He then announced with solemn formality, ‘On this vote, there are 65 yeas and 32 nays.’
This has to be scary for Rove because it's that easethat Bush has, that informality, which is his asset. Archive 2004-08-01
Projects are undertaken on a team basis and there is no rigid and inflexible formality. TOP MARKETING AND MEDIA COMPANIES IN THE UK
This is no mere formality. Christianity Today
Do we not sense a paradox here, in such procedural sameness and rigid formality applied to nature's bounteous diversity?
He combines California informality with north-of-England bluffness. February 2006
Also, he was uncomfortable with formality, dignity or the symbolic and monarchic aspects of the Presidency.
Although he enjoys the formality of many areas of the Mayor's office, he is an unstuffy man.
Over the years, Kathy's gardening style has evolved from an English-influenced formality to a more relaxed, cottagey vision.
It is important to be aware of the level of formality required at any social function.
That courtesy was a necessary formality also in the United States, but customs have relaxed a bit in practice.
One chairman has commented that tribunals operate a sliding scale of formality.
Votes were a mere formality, a gesture towards Party democracy.
The standing committees are an empty formality, and the cross-party select committees have no power.
The new blood will also help encourage a feeling of formality, the people who already know each other will be on their best behavior, and will be less likely to lapse into old familiar jokes and the same old boring conversation.
Barton had clinched the world title - his subsequent victory in the Billabong was almost a formality.
However, the general pattern of double dependence on social status and formality is maintained.
Newmarket, in order that he might find an opportunity in their absence of indulging himself in his own gossiping, coshering habits, which were distasteful to Charles, whose temper inclined to formality, and with which even the favourite, of late, had not thought it worth while to seem to sympathise. The Fortunes of Nigel
Michael did not suffer fools gladly and could seem aloof and distant at times, but this was his rather old-world formality.
A little formal for the professoriate, but perhaps she was teaching a class and wanted a little formality. TROPIC OF NIGHT
But that is a formality after his name was put forward by the nominations committee. The Sun
In this case we are dealing with an informal arbitration proceedings and despite its informality, clearly there were some essential steps during the arbitral process that required formality.
There is an important sense, however, in which the epithet "material" has been applied to reasoning, to denote illation in which the relational formality has not yet been dissected out. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 12: Philip II-Reuss
Its informality is obvious, and the sentence style is easy and plain. November « 2008 « Sentence first
However, such benefits may come at a cost as a rigid formality may conflict with deeply held professional values such as autonomy, solidarity, flexibility, and a belief in tacit knowledge.

How To Use Formality In A Sentence

Report a problem

Please indicate a type of error

Additional information (optional):