The material part of the evil came from our father upon us, but the
formality of it, the sting and the curse, is only by ourselves.
Jer. Taylor.
The formality of the vow lies in the promise made to God.
Bp. Stillingfleet.
8. (Scholastic. Philos.) The manner in which a thing is conceived or
constituted by an act of human thinking; the result of such an act; as,
animality and rationality are formalities.
Form"al*ize (fÙrm"al*z), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Formalized (?); p. pr. &
vb. n. Formalizing (?).] 1. To give form, or a certain form, to; to
model. [R.]