format

American  

[fawr-mat] / ˈfɔr mæt /

noun

1. the shape and size of a book as determined by the number of times the original sheet has been folded to form the leaves.

2. the general physical appearance of a book, magazine, or newspaper, such as the typeface, binding, quality of paper, margins, etc.

3. the organization, plan, style, or type of something.

   The format of the show allowed for topical and controversial gags.

4. Computers. the arrangement of data for computer input or output, such as the number and size of fields in a record or the spacing and punctuation of information in a report.

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verb (used with object)

formatted, formatting

1. to plan or provide a format for.

   to format the annual telethon.

2. Computers.

   1. to set the format of (input or output).

      Some word-processing programs format output in a variety of ways.

   2. to prepare (a disk) for writing and reading.

verb (used without object)

formatted, formatting

1. to devise a format.

format British  

/ ˈfɔːmæt /

noun

1. the general appearance of a publication, including type style, paper, binding, etc

2. an approximate indication of the size of a publication as determined by the number of times the original sheet of paper is folded to make a leaf See also duodecimo quarto

3. style, plan, or arrangement, as of a television programme

4. computing

   1. the defined arrangement of data encoded in a file or for example on magnetic disk or CD-ROM, essential for the correct recording and recovery of data on different devices

   2. the arrangement of text on printed output or a display screen, or a coded description of such an arrangement

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verb

1. to arrange (a book, page, etc) into a specified format

format Scientific  

/ fôr′măt′ /

1. The arrangement of data for storage or display.

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1. To divide a disk into marked sectors so that it may store data.

2. To determine the arrangement of data for storage or display.

Other Word Forms

• formatter noun
• preformat verb (used with object)
• reformat verb

Etymology

Origin of format

First recorded in 1830–40; from French, from Latin (liber) fōrmātus “(book) shaped (in a specified way)”; formation ( def. )

Example Sentences

Allen’s shows are significantly less expensive to produce than the traditional sofa-and-desk format for a major TV network, which have traditionally used high-priced hosts, live bands and substantial writing staffs.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

The founders’ format for the show resonated with listeners and within a year became highly lucrative.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

The format of the performance has not changed much, Sugiura explained, although the music and dance moves are sometimes switched up.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

“I think of this as the next format of recorded music,” Shulman says adamantly over breakfast in Beverly Hills a few days before the Grammys.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

Although Dowland used ‘Flow, my tears’ as the basis for a set of purely instrumental pieces called Lachrimae, or Seaven Teares for strings and lute, songs remained, by and large, his format of choice.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Related Words

• arrangement
• composition
• configuration
• form
• layout
• organization
• pattern
• plan
• scheme
• setup
• shape
• size
• style