For other uses of formalism see Formalism (disambiguation)

Formal may also refer to:

• Formal (university)
  Formal (university)
  Formal Hall or Formal Meal is the meal held at some of the oldest , universities in the United Kingdom at which students dress in formal attire and often gowns to dine...
  
  , a type of ceremonial event at university
• School formal
  School Formal
  A school formal is an event held during the school year for students in Australian and New Zealand high schools. Formals are generally organised and run by a student committee, the members of which volunteer to do so...
  
  , a type of ceremonial event at school
• Formal wear
  Formal wear
  Formal wear and formal dress are the general terms for clothing suitable for formal social events, such as a wedding, formal garden party or dinner, débutante cotillion, dance, or race...
  
  , clothing for formal occasions
• Informal sector, as opposed to Formal sector, economic activity beyond the purview of government
• A Formality
  Formality
  A formality is an established procedure or set of specific behaviors and utterances, conceptually similar to a ritual although typically secular and less involved...
  
  , an established procedure or set of specific behaviors

Logic and mathematics

• Formal logic, logical argument based on form
• Formal cause, Aristotle's intrinsic, determining cause
• Formal power series
  Formal power series
  In mathematics, formal power series are a generalization of polynomials as formal objects, where the number of terms is allowed to be infinite; this implies giving up the possibility to substitute arbitrary values for indeterminates...
  
  , a generalization of power series without requiring convergence, used in combinatorics
• Formal calculation
  Formal calculation
  In mathematical logic, a formal calculation is sometimes defined as a calculation which is systematic, but without a rigorous justification. This means that we are manipulating the symbols in an expression using a generic substitution, without proving that the necessary conditions hold...
  
  , a calculation which is systematic, but without a rigorous justification
• Formal set theory
  Set theory
  Set theory is the branch of mathematics that studies sets, which are collections of objects. Although any type of object can be collected into a set, set theory is applied most often to objects that are relevant to mathematics...
  
  , as opposed to Naive set theory
• Formal derivative
  Formal derivative
  In mathematics, the formal derivative is an operation on elements of a polynomial ring or a ring of formal power series that mimics the form of the derivative from calculus. Though they appear similar, the algebraic advantage of a formal derivative is that it does not rely on the notion of a...
  
  , an operation on elements of a polynomial ring which mimics the form of the derivative from calculus

Linguistics

• Formal system
  Formal system
  In formal logic, a formal system consists of a formal language and a set of inference rules, used to derive an expression from one or more other premises that are antecedently supposed or derived . The axioms and rules may be called a deductive apparatus...
  
  , an abstract means of generating inferences in a formal language
• Formal language
  Formal language
  A formal language is a set of words—that is, finite strings of letters, symbols, or tokens that are defined in the language. The set from which these letters are taken is the alphabet over which the language is defined. A formal language is often defined by means of a formal grammar...
  
  , comprising the symbolic "words" or "sentences" of a formal system
• Formal grammar
  Formal grammar
  A formal grammar is a set of formation rules for strings in a formal language. The rules describe how to form strings from the language's alphabet that are valid according to the language's syntax...
  
  , a grammar describing a formal language
• Formal proof
  Formal proof
  A formal proof or derivation is a finite sequence of sentences each of which is an axiom or follows from the preceding sentences in the sequence by a rule of inference. The last sentence in the sequence is a theorem of a formal system...
  
  , a fully rigorous proof as is possible only in a formal system
• Dynamic and formal equivalence
  Dynamic and formal equivalence
  In Bible translation dynamic equivalence and formal equivalence are two approaches to translation. The terms are not found in general linguistics or translation theory but were coined by Eugene Nida...
  
   word-for-word translation, especially of the Bible

Chemistry

• Formaldehyde
  Formaldehyde
  Formaldehyde is an organic compound with the formula CH2O. It is the simplest aldehyde, hence its systematic name methanal.Formaldehyde is a colorless gas with a characteristic pungent odor. It is an important precursor to many other chemical compounds, especially for polymers...
  
  , short form for, also formalin
• Dimethoxymethane
  Dimethoxymethane
  Dimethoxymethane, also called methylal, is a clear colorless flammable liquid with a low boiling point, low viscosity and an excellent dissolving power. It has a chloroform-like odor and a pungent taste. It is the dimethyl acetal of formaldehyde...
  
  , a synonym for this
• a quantity similar to molar concentration

Computer science

• Formal methods
  Formal methods
  In computer science and software engineering, formal methods are a particular kind of mathematically-based techniques for the specification, development and verification of software and hardware systems...
  
  , mathematically-based techniques for the specification, development and verification of software and hardware systems
• Formal specification
  Formal specification
  In computer science, a formal specification is a mathematical description of software or hardware that may be used to develop an implementation. It describes what the system should do, not how the system should do it...
  
  , describes what a system should do, not how it should do it
• Formal verification
  Formal verification
  In the context of hardware and software systems, formal verification is the act of proving or disproving the correctness of intended algorithms underlying a system with respect to a certain formal specification or property, using formal methods of mathematics .- Usage :Formal verification can be...
  
  , proves correctness of a system