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

China could have made a pro forma protest and moved on in a couple of weeks.

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Total pro forma revenue was flat from the same period a year ago.

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The combined water-and-wastewater utility company is set to have a pro forma market capitalization of approximately $40 billion, based on closing prices Friday.

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Johnson in January did swear in two GOP congressmen during a pro forma session—though the speaker notes that their swearing-in date had already been set and the House was unexpectedly out of session.

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Both were sworn in the very next day ... during pro forma sessions!

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Related Words

• formal