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

The series and format, distributed by BBC Studios, has also been licensed in six territories, most recently in Czechia, with local versions also produced in France, Germany, Australia and Greece.

From BBC

The challenge for Bloomingdale’s, which also includes 25 outlet stores and four smaller format locations, is how to create that level of excitement across all of its stores, not just a select few.

From The Wall Street Journal

The séance format that they developed allowed three working-class, barely educated women to advise higher-class, well-educated men, who never would have listened otherwise.

From Literature

The NFL’s drastically altered kickoff format grew out of spring football.

From The Wall Street Journal

The exhibition contains a self-portrait in this larger format, but it doesn’t have the concentrated punch and mystery that the standard Polaroids—requiring the viewer to lean in and peer—have in abundance.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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