To make of him a formal man again.
Shak.
Formal cause. See under Cause.
Syn. -- Precise; punctilious; stiff; starched; affected; ritual;
ceremonial; external; outward. -- Formal, Ceremonious. When applied to
things, these words usually denote a mere accordance with the rules of
form or ceremony; as, to make a formal call; to take a ceremonious
leave. When applied to a person or his manners, they are used in a bad
sense; a person being called formal who shapes himself too much by some
pattern or set form, and ceremonious when he lays too much stress on
the conventional laws of social intercourse. Formal manners render a
man stiff or ridiculous; a ceremonious carriage puts a stop to the ease
and freedom of social intercourse.
For*mal"de*hyde (?), n. [Formic + aldehyde.] (Chem.) A colorless,
volatile liquid, H2CO, resembling acetic or ethyl aldehyde, and
chemically intermediate between methyl alcohol and formic acid.
Form"al*ism (fÙrm"al*z'm), n. The practice or the doctrine of strict
adherence to, or dependence on, external forms, esp. in matters of
religion.
Official formalism.
Sir H. Rawlinson.
Form"al*ist, n. [Cf. F. formaliste.] One overattentive to forms, or too
much confined to them; esp., one who rests in external religious forms,
or observes strictly the outward forms of worship, without possessing
the life and spirit of religion.
As far a formalist from wisdom sits, In judging eyes, as libertines
from wits.
Young.
For*mal"i*ty (?), n.; pl. Formalities (#). [Cf. F. formalitÈ.] 1. The
condition or quality of being formal, strictly ceremonious, precise,
etc.