format
the shape and size of a book as determined by the number of times the original sheet has been folded to form the leaves.: Compare duodecimo, folio (def. 2), octavo, quarto.
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.
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.
to devise a format.
Origin of format
1Other words from format
- for·mat·ter, noun
- pre·for·mat, verb (used with object), pre·for·mat·ted, pre·for·mat·ting.
- re·for·mat, verb, re·for·mat·ted, re·for·mat·ting.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use format in a sentence
Like some other EV startups, Arrival uses a modular “skateboard” format that allows various bodies to be designed for use with the same undercarriage and drivetrain.
EV startup Arrival goes public at $5.4 billion valuation in SPAC deal | dzanemorris | November 18, 2020 | FortuneFor example, you redesign the formats so that they fit the editorial aesthetic, not the other way around.
Deep Dive: How the future of publishing is taking shape in the ongoing coronavirus crisis era | Pierre Bienaimé | November 17, 2020 | DigidayReuters pivoted quickly to a virtual format starting with its Eyeforpharma Barcelona conference that drew in 15,000 registrants in March.
‘The format is secondary’: How Reuters Events will drive global and local engagement on- and off-line | Kayleigh Barber | November 16, 2020 | DigidayKao’s experience building an online course from scratch, with an over 95% completion rate, was validation that the format worked.
Udemy and altMBA co-founders return to edtech with a new, stealthy business | Natasha Mascarenhas | November 12, 2020 | TechCrunchBut, this is definitely an easier format and a little more organized.
So much has changed since Alex Smith last started for Washington. The offense might, too. | Nicki Jhabvala | November 12, 2020 | Washington Post
Unique in its content, this show will have some familiar formatting.
Inside ‘The Sex Factor’: Where 16 Men and Women Vie For Porn Immortality | Aurora Snow | November 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe new edition is slightly shorter, has a more handsome font, and removes some last remaining formatting glitches.
In order to “re-format,” however, it is crucial to understand how formatting went wrong in the first place.
Any truce with Hamas would not be sustainable, and “re-formatting” would be a very costly option.
In the play itself all apparent printing errors have been retained; no attempt has been made to standardise formatting.
The Fatal Dowry | Philip MassingerFormatting of less common characters such as and has been silently corrected to agree with the rest of the text.
All obvious typographical and formatting errors were corrected.
The Life of an Insect | AnonymousMinor changes to punctuation or formatting have been made without comment.
Opuscula | Robert Gordon LathamThe formatting of the project has been reproduced as true to the original images as possible.
The Birth of Yugoslavia, Volume 1 | Henry Baerlein
British Dictionary definitions for format
/ (ˈfɔːmæt) /
the general appearance of a publication, including type style, paper, binding, etc
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
to arrange (a book, page, etc) into a specified format
Origin of format
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for format
[ fôr′măt′ ]
The arrangement of data for storage or display.
To divide a disk into marked sectors so that it may store data.
To determine the arrangement of data for storage or display.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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