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.
Arab parties have only once formally sat in an Israeli government, when Raam leader Mansour Abbas joined a short-lived coalition that lasted from 2021 to 2022.
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2026
He formally apologized for the state’s role in a “genocide” against Indigenous people.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
It could formally join his governing coalition, a rare but not unprecedented arrangement, or offer outside support by abstaining from key votes, allowing his bloc to command a parliamentary majority without formally joining the government.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
The inflation measure is formally known as the personal consumption expenditures index.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
He does not know this man, but to hear his name spoken aloud, so formally, causes his skin to tingle.
From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
