format
Americannoun
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formats
plural
-
the shape and size of a book as determined by the number of times the original sheet has been folded to form the leaves.
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the general physical appearance of a book, magazine, or newspaper, such as the typeface, binding, quality of paper, margins, etc.
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the organization, plan, style, or type of something.
The format of the show allowed for topical and controversial gags.
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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)
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formats,
present (3rd person singular)
-
formatted,
past participle, past
-
formatting
present participle
-
to plan or provide a format for.
to format the annual telethon.
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Computers.
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to set the format of (input or output).
Some word-processing programs format output in a variety of ways.
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to prepare (a disk) for writing and reading.
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verb (used without object)
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formats,
present (3rd person singular)
-
formatted,
past participle, past
-
formatting
present participle
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
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computing
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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
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the arrangement of text on printed output or a display screen, or a coded description of such an arrangement
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verb
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To divide a disk into marked sectors so that it may store data.
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To determine the arrangement of data for storage or display.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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formatsimple
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formatssimple
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have formattedperfect
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has formattedperfect
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am formattingprogressive
-
are formattingprogressive
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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
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Computer Science and Technology - Introductory
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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.
See Examples For:
Cummins and Hazlewood have also been left out for the five-match T20 series that begins on 21 November, while Starc, 36, has already retired from the format.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
Single-narrator audiobooks remain the preferred format overall, but for Maas fans that’s hardly the point.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
This format also means every team plays three group games, there are no fallow weekends and the whole tournament can be done in a relatively tight five weeks.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026
Matches are played in an 8v8 format, on smaller pitches and with 20-minute halves.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026
Pictures flash in an increasingly contrasty and grainy format until they are hardly recognizable.
From "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers
Google has been experimenting with different ad formats within AI surfaces, Flax told MarketWatch, and he believes the company will be able to effectively monetize those conversational queries in the long term.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 31, 2026
Across formats, Brook is only the second man to register a century in internationals T20s, a double hundred in ODIs and a triple century in Tests, following West Indies' great Chris Gayle.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
This was an experience that would repeat itself in different formats forever all across the United States, Canada, and multiple European countries, and still happens now if you want that to be your experience.
From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2026
“We are in a constant state of conversation with comedians, or managers, or producers, or agents about new formats we’re trying, or new shows we’re trying.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
The data transfer rate just isn’t good enough for the size of music files, even in compressed formats.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
"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
After leaving ESPN, Bayless joined Fox Sports, where he co-hosted similarly formatted show “Undisputed” — for much of the time with co-host Shannon Sharpe — from 2016- to 2024.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 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
The letter was formatted similarly to a diplomatic note and carried an official Cuban seal, the current U.S. official said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
“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
But they demand long hours—sometimes over 100-hour weeks—spent doing basic tasks, like formatting slide decks or filling in spreadsheets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 22, 2026
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt downplayed the reported inaccuracies on Thursday, attributing them to "formatting issues" and saying that the report would be updated.
From Salon ● May 29, 2025
The way a computer drive will spit out a disk if it doesn't recognize the formatting.
From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell
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