format

[fawr-mat]

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.

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

/ 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

verb

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

format

1. The arrangement of data for storage or display.

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of format¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of format¹

C19: via French from German, from Latin liber formātus volume formed

Example Sentences

The 37-year-old Kohli remained the hero with his 83rd ton across the three international formats after he raised his hundred with a boundary off Jansen and lifted his bat to a raucous home crowd.

Read more on Barron's

So for my annual holiday columna recommending great books about Southern California, I’m sticking to formats that lend themselves to easier reading — bite-size jewels of intellect, if you will.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

From 2031, the Women's World Cup will be contested between 48 teams - in line with the men's format - and require 15 stadiums.

Read more on BBC

My house is filled to overflowing with clothes I will never wear, books I will never read and pocket-size external hard drives I will never get around to formatting.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A consensus was quickly clear: "Please bring back the previous format," one person surmised on social media.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

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