external appearance of a clearly defined area, as distinguished from color or material; configuration.
a triangular form.
the shape of a thing or person.
a body, especially that of a human being.
a dummy having the same measurements as a human body, used for fitting or displaying clothing.
a dressmaker's form.
something that gives or determines shape; a mold.
a particular condition, character, or mode in which something appears.
water in the form of ice.
the manner or style of arranging and coordinating parts for a pleasing or effective result, as in literary or musical composition.
a unique form for the novel.
Fine Arts.
the organization, placement, or relationship of basic elements, as lines and colors in a painting or volumes and voids in a sculpture, so as to produce a coherent image; the formal structure of a work of art.
three-dimensional quality or volume, as of a represented object or anatomical part.
an object, person, or part of the human body or the appearance of any of these, especially as seen in nature.
His work is characterized by the radical distortion of the human form.
any assemblage of things of a similar kind constituting a component of a group, especially of a zoological group.
Crystallography. the combination of all the like faces possible on a crystal of given symmetry.
due or proper shape; orderly arrangement of parts; good order.
Philosophy.
the structure, pattern, organization, or essential nature of anything.
structure or pattern as distinguished from matter.
(initial capital letter) idea.
Aristotelianism. that which places a thing in its particular species or kind.
Logic. the abstract relations of terms in a proposition, and of propositions to one another.
a set, prescribed, or customary order or method of doing something.
a set order of words, as for use in religious ritual or in a legal document.
a form for initiating new members.
a document with blank spaces to be filled in with particulars before it is executed.
a tax form.
a typical document to be used as a guide in framing others for like cases.
a form for a deed.
a conventional method of procedure or behavior.
society's forms.
a formality or ceremony, often with implication of absence of real meaning.
to go through the outward forms of a religious wedding.
procedure according to a set order or method.
conformity to the usages of society; formality; ceremony.
the elaborate forms prevalent in the courts of renaissance kings.
procedure or conduct, as judged by social standards.
Such behavior is very bad form.
Good form demands that we go.
manner or method of performing something; technique.
The violin soloist displayed tremendous form.
physical condition or fitness, as for performing.
a tennis player in peak form.
Grammar.
a word, part of a word, or group of words forming a construction that recurs in various contexts in a language with relatively constant meaning.
a particular shape of such a form that occurs in more than one shape. In I'm, 'm is a form of am.
a word with a particular inflectional ending or other modification. Goes is a form of go.
Linguistics. the shape or pattern of a word or other construction (distinguished from substance).
Building Trades. temporary boarding or sheeting of plywood or metal for giving a desired shape to poured concrete, rammed earth, etc.
a grade or class of pupils in a British secondary school or in certain U.S. private schools.
boys in the fourth form.
British. a bench or long seat.
British Informal. a criminal record.
She didn't want to believe that her own mother had form.
Printing. Also an assemblage of types, leads, etc., secured in a chase to print from.
to construct or frame.
to make or produce.
to serve to make up; serve as; compose; constitute.
The remaining members will form the program committee.
to place in order; arrange; organize.
to frame (ideas, opinions, etc.) in the mind.
to contract or develop (habits, friendships, etc.).
to give a particular form or shape to; fashion in a particular manner.
Form the dough into squares.
to mold or develop by discipline or instructions.
The sergeant's job was to form boys into men.
Grammar.
to make (a derivation) by some grammatical change.
The suffix “-ly” forms adverbs from adjectives.
to have (a grammatical feature) represented in a particular shape.
English forms plurals in “-s”.
Military. to draw up in lines or in formation.
to take or assume form.
to be formed or produced.
Ice began to form on the window.
to take a particular form or arrangement.
The ice formed in patches across the window.
the shape or configuration of something as distinct from its colour, texture, etc
the particular mode, appearance, etc, in which a thing or person manifests itself
water in the form of ice
in the form of a bat
a type or kind
imprisonment is a form of punishment
a printed document, esp one with spaces in which to insert facts or answers
an application form
( as modifier )
a form letter
physical or mental condition, esp good condition, with reference to ability to perform
off form
the previous record of a horse, athlete, etc, esp with regard to fitness
slang a criminal record
style, arrangement, or design in the arts, as opposed to content
a fixed mode of artistic expression or representation in literary, musical, or other artistic works
sonata form
sonnet form
a mould, frame, etc, that gives shape to something
organized structure or order, as in an artistic work
education a group of children who are taught together; class
manner, method, or style of doing something, esp with regard to recognized standards
behaviour or procedure, esp as governed by custom or etiquette
good form
formality or ceremony
a prescribed set or order of words, terms, etc, as in a religious ceremony or legal document
philosophy
the structure of anything as opposed to its constitution or content
essence as opposed to matter
(often capital) (in the philosophy of Plato) the ideal universal that exists independently of the particulars which fall under it See also Form
(in the philosophy of Aristotle) the constitution of matter to form a substance; by virtue of this its nature can be understood
See logical form
a bench, esp one that is long, low, and backless
the nest or hollow in which a hare lives
a group of organisms within a species that differ from similar groups by trivial differences, as of colour
linguistics
the phonological or orthographic shape or appearance of a linguistic element, such as a word
a linguistic element considered from the point of view of its shape or sound rather than, for example, its meaning
crystallog See crystal form
taxonomy a group distinguished from other groups by a single characteristic: ranked below a variety
to give shape or form to or to take shape or form, esp a specified or particular shape
to come or bring into existence
a scum formed on the surface
to make, produce, or construct or be made, produced, or constructed
to construct or develop in the mind
to form an opinion
(tr) to train, develop, or mould by instruction, discipline, or example
(tr) to acquire, contract, or develop
to form a habit
(tr) to be an element of, serve as, or constitute
this plank will form a bridge
(tr) to draw up; organize
to form a club
Plural word for form The plural form of form is forms. Typically, the plural form of words ending in -m is created in the standard way, by adding -s, as in term/terms, alarm/alarms, and worm/worms. The word form is also used as a verb whose third-person singular form is forms, as in He forms his own opinions.
What does -form mean? The combining form -form is used like a suffix meaning “having the form of.” It is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology. The form -form comes from Latin -fōrmis, meaning “having the form of.” The equivalent combining form from Greek is -morphous, from morphḗ, meaning “form.”What are variants of -form?When used to create the taxonomic names of animals, the form -form becomes -iformes, as in Lorisiformes. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article on -iformes.
Form, figure, outline, shape refer to an appearance that can be recognized. Form, figure, and shape are often used to mean an area defined by contour without regard to other identifying qualities, as color or material. Outline refers to the line that delimits a form, figure, or shape: the outline of a hill. Form often includes a sense of mass or volume: a solid form. Shape may refer to an outline or a form: an “S” shape; a woman's shape. Figure often refers to a form or shape determined by its outline: the figure eight. Form and shape may also be applied to abstractions: the shape or form of the future. Form is applied to physical objects, mental images, methods of procedure, etc.; it is a more inclusive term than either shape or figure : the form of a cross, of a ceremony, of a poem.
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English forme, from Old French, from Latin forma “form, figure, model, mold, sort,” Medieval Latin: “seat”
From the Latin suffix -fōrmis
The way something (or someone) is shaped or arranged is its form. You might use it to describe the way a person looks walking in the woods at dusk by saying, "Her form was almost lost between the shadowy trees." Physical objects have a form, and so do less tangible things like music, movies, and stories. When form is used as a verb, it means "to give shape to," as when a filmmaker works to form the narrative of her movie so that it makes sense to the audience.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
During rush hours, long lines can form at the land border and documents are checked -- especially during periods of tension between Britain and Spain, which claims sovereignty over Gibraltar.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
A spokesperson from Welsh Women's Aid said "this form of covert surveillance can strip away a person's sense of privacy and safety".
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Generating these four types together could give scientists a unique opportunity to compare how different optical skyrmions form, evolve, and interact within the same light field.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
The two performances sold well—the second completely—and a large, enthusiastic black audience turned out, a significant achievement for an art form that often has difficulty attracting a diverse public.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
I stared at the upright form and was sure it was a ghost, a being from the dead sent for me.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
He tried his luck as a fisherman and with such success that he captured an enormous fish, a fish so -rich in fat that with the oil Manabozho was able to -form a small lake.
From The Junior Classics — Volume 1 by Patten, William
Craters, basaltic, at Ascension. -form of, affected by the trade wind. -of elevation. -of tuff at Terceira. -of tuff at the Galapagos archipelago. -their breached state. -small basaltic at St. Jago. —at the Galapagos archipelago.
From Volcanic Islands by Darwin, Charles
Leyton Sixth Form College, where Umar was a student, said its community were "deeply saddened" by his death.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
Parents were able to file the paperwork to establish the accounts for their children when they filed their 2025 income taxes, and they can still do so by filling out Form 4547 with the IRS.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
Under California law, senior public officials — including school district superintendents and school board members — are required to make financial disclosures through a document called a Form 700.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2026
Nonprofits also must file IRS Form 990 which has additional further details.
From Barron's ● Jun. 20, 2026
Haydn’s and Mozart’s obedient following of their favourite symphonic formula - Sonata Form - could not have come at a more disobedient junction in social and political history.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Denning also includes intuition, gut feelings, imagination, and spontaneous creativity among the forms of tacit knowledge that remain beyond the reach of machines.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026
Calvin Harris: Live from Scotland forms part of the BBC's Summer of Music 2026.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
The company paid Veritas $45,000 for lobbying all three city departments between April 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2025, the forms state.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Some of that work can be new forms of communal, human-centered work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
“As a Queen Mother, your grandmother protected life in all its forms and advocated for the needs of nature. Now it is your turn to shoulder this mission.”
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
Optical skyrmions are tiny, stable swirling patterns formed within the properties of light.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
People were swarming vendors from eateries all around Koreatown, dance circles formed around speakers blasting banda music, and “oohs” and “ahhs” at every missed shot were in perfect sync.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
A rift had formed between members over tactics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
Taliban authorities have vowed to boost economic self-sufficiency and move off a reliance on foreign aid, which once formed the backbone of the previous US-backed government's finances.
From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026
They formed a lane that was just wide enough for us to get through.
From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell
He said, however, that the government he envisaged forming after elections would help complete Israel's regional ambitions.
From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026
Instead of forming shortly before eruptions, as is typical for many volcanoes, this magma may have remained in place for long periods before being pushed upward.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026
Norway's first instinct is to play short, often setting up with a wide back four and the keeper forming a fifth option, with two holding midfielders showing for the ball centrally.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Peter Berezin, chief strategist at BCA Research, pointed to earnings bubbles forming in the past.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
In less than a minute all four of our heads appeared on-screen, each in their own box, forming one gigantic square.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
