pro forma

Also pro·for·ma

[proh fawr-muh]

adjective

1. according to form; as a matter of form; for the sake of form.

2. Commerce.,  provided in advance of shipment and merely showing the description and quantity of goods shipped without terms of payment.

   a pro forma invoice.

3. Accounting.,  indicating hypothetical financial figures based on previous business operations for estimate purposes.

   a pro forma balance sheet.

adverb

1. as a matter of form.

   Many of the school assignments appear to be done pro forma.

noun

plural

pro forma, pro formas 

1. a pro forma document.

pro forma

/ ˈprəʊ ˈfɔːmə /

adjective

1. prescribing a set form or procedure

adverb

1. performed in a set manner

pro forma

1. Doing something pro forma means satisfying only the minimum requirements of a task and doing it in a perfunctory way: “Her welcoming address was strictly pro forma: you could tell that her mind was a million miles away.” From Latin, meaning “by form.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of pro forma¹

First recorded in 1565–75; from Latin prō formā

Word History and Origins

Origin of pro forma¹

Latin: for form's sake

Example Sentences

A few days later, the university received a pro forma email acknowledging receipt of Acharya’s appeal.

From Los Angeles Times

Tellingly, people tended to get more animated when defending the honor of guns than they did when expressing pro forma statements wishing Trump well.

From Salon

Blanche also portrayed the ledger entries at issue in the case as pro forma actions performed by a Trump Organization employee.

From Seattle Times

Using the pro forma earnings measure known as adjusted EBITDA, which excludes some expenses, it doubled its profit to $128 million.

From New York Times

When successfully found, each site would then be photographed, GPS located, and recorded on pro forma sheets.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• formal