formally
Americanadverb
-
in a formal manner.
The store was formally opened on Tuesday.
-
as regards form; in form.
It may be formally correct, but it is substantively wrong.
Etymology
Origin of formally
Compare meaning
How does formally compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Formally describes something done according to an established custom, like dressing formally for dinner with the President, as people always have done. In our casual era of wearing jeans almost everywhere and calling our elders by their first name, it's not every day that you meet someone who acts, speaks, or dresses more formally. But there is still value in this kind of expression, especially in showing respect on important occasions like weddings and funerals. Another meaning of the adverb formally is "officially," like being formally invited to dinner at the White House.
Vocabulary lists containing formally
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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"LAFFF"
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Commonly Confused Words, List 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Daniel Elmer, the Conservative leader of South Norfolk Council and county councillor for Keswick, said he will formally object to the proposed facility.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
The rule was formally published on Sept. 30.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Although the quarry was discovered in 1992 and excavated through 2019, many of the fossils recovered there had never been formally described and remained largely unknown to science.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
Universities hired former prosecutors and victim advocates to handle a growing pile of Title IX complaints once dealt with less formally.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Mr. Allen—who’s wearing a gray suit—shakes Coach’s hand very formally and says, “Thank you again for what you said at the funeral. You’re a poet, a good friend, and a kind soul.”
From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick
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.
