semiformal
UK/ˌsɛmɪˈfɔːml/US/ˌsɛˌmaɪˈfɔrm(ə)l/
semiformal adjective: somewhat formal.
Adjective
semiformal (not comparable)
- Somewhat formal.
- The HLA defines the rules of interoperability, a semiformal methodology for specifying simulation and federation object classes, and the interface specification that is a precise specification of the functional actions that a simulation may invoke.2006, Stanislaw Raczynski, Modeling and Simulation: The Computer Science of Illusion, page 31
- When wearing the dragon robe on semiformal occasions, a single necklace was appropriate. Only the empress or empress dowager could wear a main necklace formed of Manchurian pearls, the other two being made of coral.2007, Valery Garrett, Chinese Dress: From the Qing Dynasty to the Present, page 40
- Of clothing: having a level of formality between that of informal and formal wear.
- Suits have largely replaced guayabera shirts as business and semiformal wear for middle and upper-class Panamanian men, made practical by the widespread use of air-conditioning in the cities.2005, Williams Friar, Panama, 1st edition, Emeryville, C.A.: Moon Handbooks, →ISBN, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 528
- Of an event: having a semiformal dress code.
- The skirt was way too short, at least shorter than she preferred. It left exposed a good eight inches between her knee and thigh. But what choice did she really have? Casual cropped pants were hardly appropriate attire for a semiformal event.2006, Marcia King-Gamble, Designed for You, New York, N.Y.: Kimani Press, →ISBN, page 32
Noun
semiformal (plural semiformals)
- A social event in which one is expected to dress in semiformal wear.
- Bright-colored flyers decorated battered lockers, telling everyone to join the debate team, try out for the school play, and not to miss the fall semiformal this Friday. I wondered what a "semiformal" consisted of at a public school, not that I'd bothered to ask anyone.2010, Amanda Hocking, Switched (Trylle Trilogy; 3), New York, N.Y.: St. Martin's Griffin, published 2012, →ISBN, page 9
Forms of semiformal
| Adjective | |
|---|---|
| alternative form | semi-formal |
| Noun | |
| plural | semiformals |
Origin of semiformal
From semi- + formal.
Words formed from semiformal
Questions about semiformal
- What does semiformal mean?
- Semiformal means somewhat formal.
- What part of speech is semiformal?
- Semiformal can be an adjective or a noun.
- How do you pronounce semiformal?
- Semiformal is pronounced /ˌsɛmɪˈfɔːml/ (UK).
Words near semiformal in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: semiformal (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this entry: “semiformal.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/semiformal. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.