formality
(fɔːˈmælɪtɪ)
[ad. L. formālitās, f. formālis formal a. Cf. F. formalité (1497 in Hatz.-Darm.).]
† 1. Formal or essential nature; the characteristic or distinctive property by which a thing is defined. Also, the condition of possessing formal existence.
| 1570 Dee Math. Pref. 3 Creatures..brought, from Nothing, to the Formalitie of their being and state. 1596 Bell Surv. Popery iii. ix. 378 The formalitie of original sin is of two sorts. 1649 Jer. Taylor Gt. Exemp. iii. xvii. 66 This calamity in its own formality..is a punishment. 1672 Grew Anat. Plants, Idea Philos. Hist. §7 Those Formalities, wherein their [plants'] Essence doth consist. 1686 Goad Celest. Bodies iii. iii. 449 Motion is the Formality of Wind. 1737 Waterland Eucharist 19 Mr. Scandret, distinguishing a Sacrament, according to its precise Formality, from a Sacrifice, observes [etc.]. |
† b. Formal aspect or category. Obs.
| 1620 J. Healey Augustine's City of God i. xiv. 23 The City being nothing but a multitude of men vnited in one formality of religion and estate. 1660 Jer. Taylor Duct. Dubit. i. iii, If it be propounded as evil, the will that chooses it under that formality is criminal. 1668 Culpepper & Cole Barthol. Anat. i. xxviii. 70 The womb is sensible of Odours, not under the formality of Odours, but is only affected by the..subtile vaporous matter conjoyned. |
† 2. That which pertains to outward form; also, an outward appearance or semblance (of something). Obs.
| 1615 J. Stephens Ess. & Char., Impudent Censurer (1857) 134 The walking Apes; which on the Mountaines seeme carefull Inhabitants, but at your approach, the formality of man only. 1640 Bp. Hall Episc. ii. xxii. 215 There may be some appendances and formalities of government alterable by the wisdome of the Church; yet for the main substance, it is now utterly indispensable. 1645 Milton Tetrach. (1851) 191 Sacred things not perform'd sincerely..are no way acceptable to God in their outward formality. 1649 ― Eikon. xxvii, To root up all true virtue and honour, or to be contented only with some leaves and withering formalities of them, without any real fruits. |
† 3. Method, regularity. Also, uniform procedure. Obs.
| 1603 Holland Plutarch's Mor. 423 Who greatly commended the Eliens for observing such good order and formality at the Olympick games. 1628 Sir R. Le Grys tr. Barclay's Argenis 101 Meleander..had..escaped [poison] by the carefulnesse of his seruants, who did looke to his meate and his clothes with a curious formality. 1647 Clarendon Hist. Reb. iii. §182 Such Judges (whose formality was first to Imprison, and after, at their leisure, to Examine). a 1650 May Satir. Puppy (1657) 15 A strange dejected humour possest him three months, his actions were quite void of formality, his domestick affaires by himselfe neglected. 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. iv. ii. §5 The Archbishop..was very punctual and ceremonious in his proceedings..the formality of his exemplary justice [etc.]. |
4. Accordance with legal form.
| 1660 Trial Regic. 51 When a man would plead any thing, because he would Plead it in Formality, Councel is allowed. 1693 Creech Juvenal xiii. 179 If Men forswear the Deeds and Bonds they draw, Tho' Sign'd with all formality of Law. |
† 5. Literary or artistic form; agreement with the laws of form. Obs.
| 1531 Elyot Gov. i. xiv. (1883) 149 Than appoynte they howe many plees maye be made for euery parte, and in what formalitie they shulde be sette, whiche is the seconde parte of Rhetorike, called disposition. 1597 Morley Introd. Mus. 76 In descanting you must not onelie seeke true cordes, but formalitie also: that is, to make your descant carrie some forme of relation to the plaine song. 1674 Playford Skill Mus. iii. 14 If in the first Rule the Notes follow not in expected formality. 1677 Phil. Trans. XII. 838 Formality [in music] requires, that the succeeding Notes be agreable to the former. |
6. Conformity to established rule; customary propriety. Often in depreciative sense, rigid or merely conventional observance of forms.
| 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. xxix. §1 The attyre..being a matter of meere formalitie. a 1625 Chas. I Let. in Athenæum 24 Feb. (1872) 241/3 Which I wryt not for formalities sake, but doe indede fynd myselfe ingaged both in honnor and affection. 1706 Atterbury Serm. Funeral Mr. Bennet 13 Nor was his Attendance on Divine Offices a matter of Formality and Custom, but of Conscience. 1874 Morley Compromise (1886) 179 If the religious spirit is only a fine name for..mere social formality. 1881 Tylor in Nature No. 623. 529 To give an idea of the state of formality into which life has come among these supposed free-and-easy savages. |
7. Ceremony, elaborate procedure.
| 1666 Pepys Diary 11 Apr., To Gresham College; where a great deal of do and formality in choosing of the Council and officers. 1705 Stanhope Paraphr. II. 329 Our Enemy makes his Approaches toward us with less Formality..than He..could do against the Holy Jesus. 1725 De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 96 Prodigious state and formality. 1865 Maffei Brigand Life I. 240 Without a moment's delay, and with scarcely any formality, the sentence was carried into effect. |
8. A ceremony; a formal act or observance; a legal, authorized, or customary procedure.
| 1674 Martiniere tr. Voy. N. Countries 52 The pleasant Funeral formalities among the Muscovian Laplanders. 1741 Middleton Cicero I. vi. 530 After the election, he was installed, with all the usual formalities, by Hortensius. 1749 Fielding Tom Jones xvi. iv, I insist on the formality of its being delivered me, with a full ratification of all the concessions stipulated. 1862 Trollope Orley F. i, A codicil to his will, executed with due legal formalities. |
9. Something required to be done for form's sake; a requirement of etiquette, custom, etc. (Often depreciatively, implying mere attention to externals.)
| 1647 Clarendon Hist. Reb. i. §20 It would put an end..to all those Formalities, which..might yet retard the Infanta's voyage into England. 1664 H. More Myst. Iniq. 453 Antichrist and his adherents..boasting of works and dead formalities. 1685 Gracian's Courtiers Orac. 169 He shall never gain the esteem of an able man, who sticks too much upon Formalities. 1840 Carlyle Heroes (1858) 282 How, by fasts, vigils, formalities and mass-work, a man's soul could be saved. 1856 Kane Arct. Expl. I. viii. 90 Many a warm shake of the hand showed me that our good⁓bye was not a mere formality. 1874 Green Short Hist. iv. §2 174 Their presence..became so pure a formality that [etc.]. |
† b. Ceremonious attention (paid to a person).
| 1603 Knolles Hist. Turks (1638) 96 The Emperour..became his host, entertaining him with all the formalities that feigned friendship could deuise. 1692 Luttrell Brief Rel. (1857) II. 564 The mayor and aldermen attended on the prince and princesse daily; but had received notice..to desist paying those formalities. 1726 G. Shelvocke Voy. round World (1757) 407 Those..they guessed..to be above the common sort. These they always received with such formality as could not be expected in such a place. |
10. pl. or collect. sing. Robes or insignia of office or dignity. Obs. exc. Hist. † Also (rarely) in sing., an armorial bearing.
| 1575 R. Laneham Letter (1871) 41 Appeerez then a fresh, in hiz ful formalitee with a louely loock. 1614 Selden Titles Hon. 196 Neither haue they now the Crown as a part of their habit, but a formalitie only on their Armorie. 1614 T. Lorkin Let. in Willis & Clark Cambridge (1886) III. 35 Doctors in their formalityes and vpon their foots⁓cloths. 1696 Lond. Gaz. No. 3176/1 In the morning the Magistrates went to Church in a Body, and in their Formality. 1751 Johnson Rambler No. 173 ¶8 Divest themselves with too much haste of their academical formality. 1753 in Lond. Even. Post 9 Aug., The corporation of Scarborough waited upon the Rt. Hon. Henry Pelham, Esq., in their formalities. 1894 Boase Exeter Coll. (Oxf. Hist. Soc.) p. xlvii, The picture of a man kneeling, with his gown and formalities upon him. |
† b. In wider sense: Ceremonial or significant garments of any kind. Obs.
| 1672 Cave Prim. Chr. iii. v. (1673) 367 They appeared in all the Formalities of Sorrow and Mourning. 1717 S. Centlivre Bold Str. for Wife v, I hoped to have been quiet, when once I had put on your odious formality here [i.e. a Quaker dress]. |
11. The attribute of being formal; precision, rigid decorum of manners; excessive regularity or stiffness (of style, outline, etc.).
| 1599 Nashe Lenten Stuffe (1871) 33 A universal merchantly formality, in habit, speech, and gestures. a 1674 Clarendon Hist. Reb. vi. §396 That which look'd like Formality, was a Punctuality in preserving his dignity. 1789 Belsham Ess. I. iii. 66 The frozen formality..of Charles occasioned extreme disgust. 1830 Hood Haunted H. i. xxv, The very yew Formality had train'd To such a rigid pyramidal stature. 1834 Macaulay Pitt, Ess. (1889) 301 His heart was a little cold..his manners decorous even to formality. 1849 Florist 285 On our left the lake, the formality of its smooth banks elegantly broken by those willows. |