formalize
Americanverb (used with object)
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formalizes,
present (3rd person singular)
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formalized,
past participle, past
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formalizing
present participle
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to make formal, especially for the sake of official or authorized acceptance.
to formalize an understanding by drawing up a legal contract.
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to give a definite form or shape to.
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to state or restate (the rules or implied rules of a grammar or the like) in symbolic form.
verb
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to be or make formal
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(tr) to make official or valid
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(tr) to give a definite shape or form to
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logic to extract the logical form of (an expression), to express in the symbols of some formal system
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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formalizesimple
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formalizessimple
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have formalizedperfect
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has formalizedperfect
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am formalizingprogressive
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are formalizingprogressive
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is formalizingprogressive
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have been formalizingperfect progressive
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has been formalizingperfect progressive
Past
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formalizedsimple
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had formalizedperfect
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was formalizingprogressive
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were formalizingprogressive
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had been formalizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of formalize
Explanation
To formalize something is to give it an official kind of status, like when you formalize an agreement by signing a contract. Two people can formalize their love and commitment to each other by getting married, and your grandparents can formalize their plan to leave their money to a certain charity by writing a will. In fact, one good way to formalize almost anything is to draw up a legal document. This verb comes from formal and its root that means "a shape or a form."
Vocabulary lists containing formalize
Content Summary 2.3: Greek and Hellenistic States in the Classical Mediterranean
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The Classical Period, c. 600 BCE to c. 600 CE
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The Postclassical Period, c. 600 CE to c. 1450
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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:
The broadside came on the eve of a vote in Ukraine’s parliament to formalize the appointment of Yevhenii Khmara as new defense minister, a move Fedorov opposed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
But it would formalize the country’s control over what had been an open international waterway before the war, one that carried a fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
Their results, presented at a visualization science conference, formalize Schrödinger's model of color and show that these familiar color qualities are built into the structure of color perception itself.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 7, 2026
The mechanism, as described by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, would help formalize and identify what goods the United States should export to and import from China.
From Barron's ● May 8, 2026
“If we’re committed,” I said, as evenly as I could muster, “why wouldn’t we formalize that commitment? What part of your dignity would be sacrificed by that?”
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
New research from the Boston Fed formalizes this intuition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
Olson says this new role formalizes the unofficial one she had shadowing her dad, Martin Olson, who wrote for the series during its original run.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2025
Feb. 18, 2022: The Fed formalizes a new ethics policy, broadens the scope of what officials can't do and extends the rules to family members.
From Reuters ● Oct. 4, 2023
To maintain the benefits of harvesting wild foods, we should take a One Health approach that formalizes the links between medicine and the environment.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2023
It widens the scope of history, and more precisely formalizes its functions.
From Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science Volume 17, No. 097, January, 1876 by Various
Critics of the plan want these pledges in writing, and McHugh said they are currently being formalized.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Elora Mukherjee: The metering policy was first implemented by DHS in 2016 and then it was formalized into written guidance in 2018.
From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026
More than any other strategist, Marshall has formalized and advanced Wall Street’s understanding of how options let investors better navigate the stock market by managing risk and maximizing return.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
Since the Waters center formalized the partnership in 2021, one other adult school has adopted the arrangement and a second will do so soon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
They wanted the audition process to be formalized.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Abreu lobbied to make El Sistema part of the Venezuelan government, formalizing music education as a human right.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
The White House is considering a cybersecurity-focused executive order that could include formalizing a government oversight group to create standards for the most powerful AI models, such as Mythos, people familiar with the discussions said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
That streak may end this Wednesday as the Scott Bessent-led department is expected to update this language in its policy statement, formalizing the “preliminary” considerations for hikes mentioned in the previous announcement.
From Barron's ● May 4, 2026
And it just seemed like we were so clearly making a bunch of choices, specifically not to let profit be the motivation, that it started to seem very silly that we weren’t just formalizing this.
From Slate ● Mar. 22, 2026
After all, marriage is only the formalizing of an instinct that existed long before—exists in some animals and birds who mate without formality and stay mated without compulsion.
From We Can't Have Everything by Rupert Hughes
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.
