Associations to the word «Formal»

Wiktionary

FORMAL, adjective. Being in accord with established forms.
FORMAL, adjective. Official.
FORMAL, adjective. Relating to the form or structure of something.
FORMAL, adjective. Relating to formation.
FORMAL, adjective. Ceremonial.
FORMAL, adjective. Proper, according to strict etiquette; not casual.
FORMAL, adjective. Organized; well-structured and planned.
FORMAL, adjective. (mathematics) Relating to mere manipulation and construction of strings of symbols, without regard to their meaning.
FORMAL, noun. Formalin.
FORMAL, noun. An evening gown.
FORMAL, noun. An event with a formal dress code.
FORMAL CAUSE, noun. (philosophy) (natural science) The design, pattern, or pure concept of a thing, which gives form or structure to its matter.
FORMAL FALLACY, noun. (logic) A pattern of reasoning which is always wrong, due to a flaw in the structure of the argument.
FORMAL GRAMMAR, noun. (computer science) A precise mathematical description of a formal language, consisting of terminal symbols, nonterminal symbols, a nonterminal symbol serving as start symbol, and a set of production rules that control the expansion of nonterminal symbols into strings consisting of both terminal and nonterminal symbols.
FORMAL GRAMMARS, noun. Plural of formal grammar
FORMAL LANGUAGE, noun. (computing theory) A generally finite set of possible strings (called sentences) made of symbols (from a symbol set called the alphabet) along with rules constraining how the symbols can be used.
FORMAL LANGUAGES, noun. Plural of formal language
FORMAL LOGIC, noun. (logic) Mathematical logic.
FORMAL LOGIC, noun. (logic) A particular logical calculus.
FORMAL LOGICS, noun. Plural of formal logic
FORMAL ONTOLOGY, noun. An ontology with a structure that is guided and defined through axioms.
FORMAL PARAMETER, noun. (programming) An abstract representation, typically including a name and a type, of a parameter expected to be passed to a method or function.
FORMAL SCIENCE, noun. A study that is concerned with theoretical formal systems, such as logic, mathematics, systems theory and the theoretical branches of computer science, information theory, microeconomics, statistics, and linguistics.
FORMAL SCIENCES, noun. Plural of formal science
FORMAL SEMANTICS, noun. The study of the semantics, or interpretations, of formal languages.
FORMAL SYSTEM, noun. (logic) The grouping of a formal language and a set of inference rules and/or axioms.
FORMAL VALIDITY, noun. (logic) An argument's property of being valid due to being an instance of an argument form.

Dictionary definition

FORMAL, noun. A lavish dance requiring formal attire.
FORMAL, noun. A gown for evening wear.
FORMAL, adjective. Being in accord with established forms and conventions and requirements (as e.g. of formal dress); "pay one's formal respects"; "formal dress"; "a formal ball"; "the requirement was only formal and often ignored"; "a formal education".
FORMAL, adjective. Characteristic of or befitting a person in authority; "formal duties"; "an official banquet".
FORMAL, adjective. (of spoken and written language) adhering to traditional standards of correctness and without casual, contracted, and colloquial forms; "the paper was written in formal English".
FORMAL, adjective. Represented in simplified or symbolic form.
FORMAL, adjective. Logically deductive; "formal proof".
FORMAL, adjective. Refined or imposing in manner or appearance; befitting a royal court; "a courtly gentleman".

Wise words

Language is a process of free creation; its laws and principles are fixed, but the manner in which the principles of generation are used is free and infinitely varied. Even the interpretation and use of words involves a process of free creation.
Noam Chomsky