format
Americannoun
-
the shape and size of a book as determined by the number of times the original sheet has been folded to form the leaves.
-
the general physical appearance of a book, magazine, or newspaper, such as the typeface, binding, quality of paper, margins, etc.
-
the organization, plan, style, or type of something.
The format of the show allowed for topical and controversial gags.
-
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)
-
to plan or provide a format for.
to format the annual telethon.
-
Computers.
-
to set the format of (input or output).
Some word-processing programs format output in a variety of ways.
-
to prepare (a disk) for writing and reading.
-
verb (used without object)
noun
-
the general appearance of a publication, including type style, paper, binding, etc
-
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
-
style, plan, or arrangement, as of a television programme
-
computing
-
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
-
the arrangement of text on printed output or a display screen, or a coded description of such an arrangement
-
verb
-
To divide a disk into marked sectors so that it may store data.
-
To determine the arrangement of data for storage or display.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
formatsimple
-
formatssimple
-
have formattedperfect
-
has formattedperfect
-
am formattingprogressive
-
are formattingprogressive
-
is formattingprogressive
-
have been formattingperfect progressive
-
has been formattingperfect progressive
Past
-
formattedsimple
-
had formattedperfect
-
was formattingprogressive
-
were formattingprogressive
-
had been formattingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of format
First recorded in 1830–40; from French, from Latin (liber) fōrmātus “(book) shaped (in a specified way)”; see formation ( def. )
Explanation
In saving a new electronic document, you must choose a format, for instance PDF, Word doc, or XML, which dictates how the information is to be organized, displayed, and manipulated. To format information is to arrange it according to preexisting parameters. Electronic files require a format or, more commonly, a "file type," so computers will know how to open, read, and change them. Entertainment media are delivered in such varied formats as VHS, CD, DVD, MP3, and MOV. In the world of AM/FM radio, format is the type of music a station plays, such as top-40, urban, dance, or country.
Vocabulary lists containing format
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Computer Science and Technology - Introductory
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
The special 70mm celluloid is touted as having ultra-high resolution and capturing an unusually wide frame, qualities Nolan says are best experienced by seeing a projection of physical film, not the contemporary standard digital format.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
“The Odyssey,” in whatever format it is seen, is an epic adventure with emotional undertones beyond the original story and an existential message that resonates far more than its smattering of modern language.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Greenberg said Cricket Australia was trying to strike a balance between marking a significant milestone in the history of Test cricket and ensuring the longer format continued to move with the times.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Every time someone joins from their phone, they are in that vertical format, and you can absolutely tell,” she said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
Unlike our World Cup format, the individual event at the Olympics was held on one day.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
There has been also been newfound attention on theatrical presentation and film formats, including the highly sought after 70mm showing of Christopher Nolan’s latest epic, “The Odyssey.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
As space becomes scarce, the company is experimenting with new store formats.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
He rose to lead the division that made printing technology for large formats, such as signs or billboards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
Gould also suggested that the captaincy would be split, perhaps hinting that white-ball captain Brook, also the Test vice-captain, would not be able to lead across all formats.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Public subsidy allowed formats that had become financially unviable - such as the nineteenth-century symphony orchestra - to prosper somewhat artificially in the twentieth century, justified by the preservation of heritage.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
"AI thrives on recognising patterns. And legal citations and arguments are always formatted in the same way, so it's easy for an AI to follow a template and generate fake ones," said Charlotin.
From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026
However, Wells participated in a CBP webinar last week, so she knew how to create a properly formatted file herself, and quickly made her submission on Monday morning.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 20, 2026
It confesses to writing like “a painfully neutral Midwestern news anchor reading off a perfectly formatted teleprompter.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026
The letters poured in and Baxter set up a complicated card index system so children would get personal replies rather than a formatted letter.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2025
“Yeah. I like how you’ve formatted your skill set.”
From "Landscape with Invisible Hand" by M.T. Anderson
While both phones and laptops now have high-quality cameras, the formatting is a dead giveaway that you’re not on a laptop, says Melissa Marcus, a career coach who worked as a recruiter for 20 years.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
Some journals are experimenting with artificial intelligence to screen submissions or flag common problems, like issues with document formatting.
From Slate ● May 3, 2026
In a moment of self reflection, ChatGPT admits to feeling “like an editor who stayed up too late formatting the memo.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026
The runaway success of “Squid Game” was definitive proof that audiences are looking for the spark of originality in familiar formatting, and that language is no barrier when it comes to streaming entertainment.
From Salon ● Dec. 27, 2024
She wasn’t using a word-processing program of any kind—in fact, she was bypassing much of the operating system—and whatever formatting was imposing itself on the words, it wasn’t hers.
From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman
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.
