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Synonyms

well-formed

American  
[wel-fawrmd] / ˈwɛlˈfɔrmd /

adjective

  1. rightly or pleasingly formed.

    a well-formed contour.

  2. Linguistics. (of an utterance) conforming to the rules of a language; grammatical (opposed to ill-formed).


well-formed British  

adjective

  1. logic linguistics (of a formula, expression, etc) constructed in accordance with the syntactic rules of a particular system; grammatically correct

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of well-formed

First recorded in 1510–20

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.

The daily chart shows how the stock has risen above several well-formed bases, starting in July with a break above a double bottom.

From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026

She opens her hands up to me, revealing Band-Aids and well-formed callouses.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 8, 2025

The team found that the more well-formed modular networks had large responses to localised light stimulation, while those with less 'modularity' responded to all stimulus in an excessively synchronised way.

From Science Daily • Sep. 20, 2023

Current rules say the conch must have a well-formed flaring lip to be considered an adult.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 5, 2023

Once well-formed, they were now no larger than they’d been in the midst of puberty.

From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas

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