pro forma

[ 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 for·ma, pro for·mas.

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

Forbes reports that it will sport “an implied pro forma enterprise value of $630 million, net of tax benefits,” after its completion.

From TechCrunch

The pro forma results are also inclusive of a private placement, and its recent acquisition of Tock.

From TechCrunch

The House held a moment of silence to remember Wright on Monday after convening for a brief pro forma session.

From Washington Post

Normal procedure is that any member country can request that a document be circulated, and the UN does it pro-forma.

From The Daily Beast

As pro forma as the personal stuff is, Tyrant still could've been a compelling show—if it got the political stuff right.

From The Daily Beast

But as a matter of law, these tax-exempt organizations do maintain a pro-forma nonpartisan posture.

From The Daily Beast

The Senate had, in fact, been in pro forma session when Obama issued his fiat that the body was in recess.

From The Daily Beast

The objections to quantitative easing were generally pro forma and not particularly articulate.

From The Daily Beast

It was read a first time in that house pro forma, and the second reading was fixed for the 17th of July.

From Project Gutenberg

The bill was read a second time pro forma on the 13th of July, and the motion to commit it was made on the 21st.

From Project Gutenberg

This would have been done before except that Mr. Vanderpool expected Judge Bedford to sit and make it pro forma.

From Project Gutenberg

He believed with conviction a great deal that Erasmus accepted merely pro forma.

From Project Gutenberg

Even when returning from Lugano it was made to stop at the customs-house simply pro forma.

From Project Gutenberg