well-formed

[ wel-fawrmd ]

/ ˈwɛlˈfɔrmd /

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See synonyms for well-formed on Thesaurus.com

adjective

rightly or pleasingly formed: a well-formed contour.

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

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of well-formed

First recorded in 1510–20

OTHER WORDS FROM well-formed

well-form·ed·ness

[wel-fawr-mid-nis, -fawrmd-], /ˈwɛlˈfɔr mɪd nɪs, -ˈfɔrmd-/, noun

Words nearby well-formed

well-fed, well-financed, well-finished, well-fitted, well-fixed, well-formed, well-fortified, well-found, well-founded, well-furnished, well-governed

How to use well-formed in a sentence

I gave some examples of bad design and showed a picture of an infant with a well-formed tail to illustrate one example.
The Crazy Way Creationists Try To Explain Human Tails Without Evolution|Karl W. Giberson|June 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Black curls, tiny well formed hands and feet, and a sweet face that I can clearly remember today all these years later.
Daily Beast Readers React to YouTube Stillborn Baby Memorials|Brandy Zadrozny|November 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He was good-looking, as far as regularity of features and a well-formed figure went, but mentally not much to boast of.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
Carlson went to his desk, sat down, stuck a slim cigar in his well formed lips.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various

It was a pleasant face, sun-bronzed and well-formed, with waving brown hair and eyes that could be gentle and compassionate.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
The tobacco fields are faithfully tended, and the utmost pains taken to secure large, well-formed leaves.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
His nose was large and aquiline, his mouth from his lips thin, and his chin well formed and powerful.
Skipper Worse|Alexander Lange Kielland

British Dictionary definitions for well-formed

well-formed

adjective

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

Derived forms of well-formed

well-formedness, noun

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

well-formed

Origin of well-formed

OTHER WORDS FROM well-formed

Words nearby well-formed

Words related to well-formed

How to use well-formed in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for well-formed

Derived forms of well-formed