Word.ws English Dictionary

How to use formality in a sentence

22 example sentences · noun

Formality means the state of being formal. Example: “The examination for priesthood is no mere formality, so we have to study well.”

Examples of formality by meaning

nounA customary ritual without substance, real consequence, or unique meaning.

  • The examination for priesthood is no mere formality, so we have to study well.

nounA specific requirement for obtaining a legal status, conducting a transaction, etc.

  • I expected some sort of formality before they let me see the crown—so valuable—but there was really nothing at all.1927, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados Mysteries

More sentences with formality

  • Why don’t we dispense with the formalities? Please call me Al.From the entry call
  • Formality and titles mean nothing in their circle.From the entry mean
  • Upon the death of the Sovereign the Crown automatically vests in the next heir without the need of coronation or other formality.From the entry vest
  • We associate the Rada Lwa with the color white and with a sense of purity and formality.2012, Mambo Chita Tann, Haitian Vodou, page 95. From the entry rada
  • "He broke with French formality; he broke with fat and weighty flavours.2001, Timothy Taylor, Stanley Park, Counterpoint paperback, published 2003, →ISBN, page 363. From the entry break with
  • Although sometimes “elections” were held, they were little more than formalities.1988, John P. Burns, Political Participation in Rural China, University of California Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 218. From the entry Huilong
  • They are black-avised as warlocks and wear their black cowls with formality and disdain.1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance (Avignon Quintet), Penguin, published 2004, page 652. From the entry blackavised
  • The various formalities were covered by a public hearing, but the closure was given consent by the Transport Minister.2023 March 8, Paul Salveson, “Fond farewells to two final trains...”, in RAIL, number 978, page 55. From the entry public hearing
  • Formality is simply another fence to cower behind.2014, Colleen McCullough, Bittersweet, page 366. From the entry poker up
  • Is it okay to throw formality out the window?2007 April 13, “"SEND"; Etiquette Guide for Using E-mail (review)”, in ABC_GMA. From the entry out the window
  • “No need for formality.” ¶ “Sure, Win.” He's hinting.1994, Robert B. Parker, All Our Yesterdays, Dell Publishing, →ISBN, page 449. From the entry win
  • There was always a certain old-worldly formality about our interchanges.1984 December 15, Nancy Walker, “Remembering David Stryker”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 22, page 5. From the entry interchange
  • There is in Canadian political, business, and social life a certain formality and conservatism that reflect this fact.1971, John W. Berry, Gerald J. S. Wilde, Social Psychology of Canada: An Annotated Bibliography, page 9. From the entry mediocrat
  • Bathing in the river followed, culminating in love orgies, the preceding formalities being in a sense introductory stimulants.1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 140. From the entry love orgy
  • 'I was christened "Sonny"', the boy said with a protective formality which was clearly of some years' growth.1938, Margery Allingham, The Fashion in Shrouds, page 136. From the entry sonny
  • If pressed he would call these catchweight fights, but they were really just demolition without a weigh-in or any formality beyond money changing hands.2011, Sam Hawken, The Dead Women of Juárez, →ISBN. From the entry catchweight
  • The boat trains are run straight into the quayside shed alongside the ship, where immigration and customs formalities are carried out under cover.1959 February, G. Freeman Allen, “Southampton—Gateway to the Ocean”, in Trains Illustrated, page 89. From the entry quayside
  • He slapped his documents open on the table and seated himself pontifically, with a certain imminent redness lurking behind the formality of his expression.1930, Norman Lindsay, Redheap, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, →OCLC, page 139. From the entry pontifically
  • Humanity, optimism, knowledge of social conditions, capacity and insight, rather than formality and class separateness, are what they will demand from the Church on the day of the returning."1919, David Smith Cairns, The Army and Religion. From the entry reefage
  • The “Hello, World” of the communications field is to send an AT command to a modem and get back a response, so we will take care of this formality first.2000, Mark Hammond, Andy Robinson, Python Programming on Win32 (Help for Windows Programmers), Sebastopol, Calif.: O’Reilly & Associates…. From the entry Hello, World

Meaning of formality

  1. noun The state of being formal.
  2. noun Something said or done as a matter of form.
  3. noun A customary ritual without substance, real consequence, or unique meaning.

Full definition of formality

Questions about formality in a sentence

How do you use formality in a sentence?
Formality is used as a noun. For example: “The examination for priesthood is no mere formality, so we have to study well.”
What is a short sentence with formality?
“Formality and titles mean nothing in their circle.”
What does formality mean?
Formality means the state of being formal.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: formality (page history and authors) and the entries each sentence comes from. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws chose the sentences, left out offensive ones and quotations older than 1900, and marked the word in each. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “How to use formality in a sentence.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/sentences/formality. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.