1
as in gesture
an act or utterance that is a customary show of good manners
bowing to your guest is a formality you don't need to perform for me
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2
as in ritual
an oft-repeated action or series of actions performed in accordance with tradition or a set of rules
churchgoers loved the formalities of a traditional Christmas Eve candlelight service
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Examples of formality in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The whole thing seems like a formality; but Katagas instructs the assessors to meet with the physicist that day.
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Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 15 Aug. 2024
Of course the vote, which took place by roll call during the convention, is a formality given that Trump was already given the necessary 1,215 delegates needed to cinch the nomination in March.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 15 July 2024
His death came weeks before the country’s presidential elections scheduled to begin nationwide on March 15, which is widely seen by the international community as little more than a formality that will secure Putin a fifth term in power.
—Radina Gigova, CNN, 9 July 2024
From then on, the gold medal was such a formality that many fans were paying more attention to the close battle for second, won by the Netherlands.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 10 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for formality 
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 15 Aug. 2024
Of course the vote, which took place by roll call during the convention, is a formality given that Trump was already given the necessary 1,215 delegates needed to cinch the nomination in March.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 15 July 2024
His death came weeks before the country’s presidential elections scheduled to begin nationwide on March 15, which is widely seen by the international community as little more than a formality that will secure Putin a fifth term in power.
—Radina Gigova, CNN, 9 July 2024
From then on, the gold medal was such a formality that many fans were paying more attention to the close battle for second, won by the Netherlands.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 10 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for formality
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'formality.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Thesaurus Entries Near formality
Cite this Entry
“Formality.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formality. Accessed 18 Sep. 2024.
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