Form vs. Function — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Form and Function

Compare with Definitions

Form

The shape and structure of an object

The form of a snowflake.

Function

An activity that is natural to or the purpose of a person or thing

Bridges perform the function of providing access across water

Bodily functions

Form

The body or outward appearance of a person or an animal; figure

In the fog we could see two forms standing on the bridge.

Function

A relation or expression involving one or more variables

The function (bx + c)

Form

A model of the human figure or part of it used for displaying clothes.

Function

A thing dependent on another factor or factors

Class shame is a function of social power

Form

A mold for the setting of concrete.

Function

A large or formal social event or ceremony

He was obliged to attend party functions

Form

The way in which a thing exists, acts, or manifests itself

An element usually found in the form of a gas.

Function

Work or operate in a proper or particular way

Her liver is functioning normally

Form

(Philosophy) The essential or ideal nature of something, especially as distinguished from its matter or material being.

Function

A person's role or occupation

In my function as chief editor.

Form

A kind, type, or variety

A cat is a form of mammal.

Function

(Biology) The physiological activity of an organ or body part

The heart's function is to pump blood.

Form

(Botany) A subdivision of a variety usually differing in one trivial characteristic, such as flower color.

Function

(Computers) A procedure within an application.

Form

Method of arrangement or manner of coordinating elements in verbal or musical composition

Presented my ideas in outline form.

A treatise in the form of a dialogue.

Function

An official ceremony or a formal social occasion

Disliked attending receptions and other company functions.

Form

A particular type or example of such arrangement

The essay is a literary form.

Function

Something closely related to another thing and dependent on it for its existence, value, or significance

Growth is a function of nutrition.

Form

Procedure as determined or governed by regulation or custom

Gave his consent solely as a matter of form.

Function

A variable so related to another that for each value assumed by one there is a value determined for the other.

Form

Manners or conduct as governed by etiquette, decorum, or custom

Arriving late to a wedding is considered bad form.

Function

A rule of correspondence between two sets such that there is exactly one element in the second set assigned to each element in the first set. Also called mapping.

Form

A fixed order of words or procedures, as for use in a ceremony

"As they had never had a funeral aboard a ship, they began rehearsing the forms so as to be ready" (Arthur Conan Doyle).

Function

To have or perform a function; serve

Functioned as ambassador.

Form

A document with blanks for the insertion of details or information

Insurance forms.

Function

To deal with or overcome the challenges of everyday life

For weeks after his friend's funeral he simply could not function.

Form

Performance considered with regard to acknowledged criteria

A musician at the top of her form.

Function

What something does or is used for.

Form

A pattern of behavior or performance

Remained true to form and showed up late.

Function

A professional or official position.

Form

Fitness, as of an athlete or animal, with regard to health or training

A dog in excellent form.

Function

An official or social occasion.

Form

A racing form.

Function

Something which is dependent on or stems from another thing; a result or concomitant.

Form

A grade in a British secondary school or in some American private schools

The sixth form.

Function

A relation where one thing is dependent on another for its existence, value, or significance.

Form

A linguistic form.

Function

(mathematics) A relation in which each element of the domain is associated with exactly one element of the codomain. Category:en:Functions

Form

The external aspect of words with regard to their inflections, pronunciation, or spelling.

Function

(computing) A routine that receives zero or more arguments and may return a result.

Form

Chiefly British A long seat; a bench.

Function

(biology) The physiological activity of an organ or body part.

Form

The lair or resting place of a hare.

Function

(chemistry) The characteristic behavior of a chemical compound.

Form

To give form to; shape

Form clay into figures.

Function

(anthropology) The role of a social practice in the continued existence of the group.

Form

To make or fashion by shaping

Form figures out of clay.

Function

(intransitive) To have a function.

Form

To develop in the mind; conceive

Her reading led her to form a different opinion.

Function

(intransitive) To carry out a function; to be in action.

Form

To arrange oneself in

Holding out his arms, the cheerleader formed a T. The acrobats formed a pyramid.

Function

The act of executing or performing any duty, office, or calling; performance.

Form

To organize or arrange

The environmentalists formed their own party.

Function

The appropriate action of any special organ or part of an animal or vegetable organism; as, the function of the heart or the limbs; the function of leaves, sap, roots, etc.; life is the sum of the functions of the various organs and parts of the body.

Form

To fashion, train, or develop by instruction, discipline, or precept

Formed the recruits into excellent soldiers.

Function

The natural or assigned action of any power or faculty, as of the soul, or of the intellect; the exertion of an energy of some determinate kind.

As the mind opens, and its functions spread.

Form

To come to have; develop or acquire

He formed the habit of walking to work.

Function

The course of action which peculiarly pertains to any public officer in church or state; the activity appropriate to any business or profession.

Tradesmen . . . going about their functions.

The malady which made him incapable of performing hisregal functions.

Form

To enter into (a relationship)

They formed a friendship.

Function

A quantity so connected with another quantity, that if any alteration be made in the latter there will be a consequent alteration in the former. Each quantity is said to be a function of the other. Thus, the circumference of a circle is a function of the diameter. If x be a symbol to which different numerical values can be assigned, such expressions as x2, 3x, Log. x, and Sin. x, are all functions of x.

Form

To constitute or compose, especially out of separate elements

The bones that form the skeleton.

Function

A religious ceremony, esp. one particularly impressive and elaborate.

Every solemn function' performed with the requirements of the liturgy.

Form

To produce (a tense, for example) by inflection

Form the pluperfect.

Function

A public or social ceremony or gathering; a festivity or entertainment, esp. one somewhat formal.

This function, which is our chief social event.

Form

To make (a word) by derivation or composition.

Function

To execute or perform a function; to transact one's regular or appointed business.

Form

To become formed or shaped

Add enough milk so the dough forms easily into balls.

Function

A mathematical relation such that each element of one set is associated with at least one element of another set

Form

To come into being by taking form; arise

Clouds will form in the afternoon.

Function

What something is used for;

The function of an auger is to bore holes

Ballet is beautiful but what use is it?

Form

To assume a specified form, shape, or pattern

The soldiers formed into a column.

Function

The actions and activities assigned to or required or expected of a person or group;

The function of a teacher

The government must do its part

Play its role

Form

To do with shape.

Function

A relation such that one thing is dependent on another;

Height is a function of age

Price is a function of supply and demand

Form

The shape or visible structure of a thing or person.

Function

A formal or official social gathering or ceremony;

It was a black-tie function

Form

A thing that gives shape to other things as in a mold.

Function

A vaguely specified social event;

The party was quite an affair

An occasion arranged to honor the president

A seemingly endless round of social functions

Form

Regularity, beauty, or elegance.

Function

A set sequence of steps, part of larger computer program

Form

(philosophy) The inherent nature of an object; that which the mind itself contributes as the condition of knowing; that in which the essence of a thing consists.

Function

Perform as expected when applied;

The washing machine won't go unless it's plugged in

Does this old car still run well?

This old radio doesn't work anymore

Form

Characteristics not involving atomic components. en

Function

Serve a purpose, role, or function;

The tree stump serves as a table

The female students served as a control group

This table would serve very well

His freedom served him well

The table functions as a desk

Form

(dated) A long bench with no back.

Function

Perform duties attached to a particular office or place or function;

His wife officiated as his private secretary

Form

(fine arts) The boundary line of a material object. In painting, more generally, the human body.

Form

(crystallography) The combination of planes included under a general crystallographic symbol. It is not necessarily a closed solid.

Form

(social) To do with structure or procedure.

Form

An order of doing things, as in religious ritual.

Form

Established method of expression or practice; fixed way of proceeding; conventional or stated scheme; formula.

Form

Constitution; mode of construction, organization, etc.; system.

A republican form of government

Form

Show without substance; empty, outside appearance; vain, trivial, or conventional ceremony; conventionality; formality.

A matter of mere form

Form

(archaic) A class or rank in society.

Form

(UK) A criminal record; loosely, past history (in a given area).

Form

Level of performance.

The team's form has been poor this year.

The orchestra was on top form this evening.

Form

A class or year of school pupils (often preceded by an ordinal number to specify the year, as in sixth form).

Form

A blank document or template to be filled in by the user.

To apply for the position, complete the application form.

Form

A specimen document to be copied or imitated.

Form

(grammar) A grouping of words which maintain grammatical context in different usages; the particular shape or structure of a word or part of speech.

Participial forms;

Verb forms

Form

The den or home of a hare.

Form

A window or dialogue box.

Form

Essentials

Form

(taxonomy) An infraspecific rank.

Form

The type or other matter from which an impression is to be taken, arranged and secured in a chase.

Form

(geometry) A quantic.

Form

A specific way of performing a movement.

Form

(transitive) To assume (a certain shape or visible structure).

When you kids form a straight line I'll hand out the lollies.

Form

(transitive) To give (a shape or visible structure) to a thing or person.

Roll out the dough to form a thin sheet.

Form

(intransitive) To take shape.

When icicles start to form on the eaves you know the roads will be icy.

Form

To put together or bring into being; assemble.

The socialists did not have enough MPs to form a government.

Paul McCartney and John Lennon formed The Beatles in Liverpool in 1960.

Form

To create (a word) by inflection or derivation.

By adding "-ness", you can form a noun from an adjective.

Form

(transitive) To constitute, to compose, to make up.

Teenagers form the bulk of extreme traffic offenders.

Form

To mould or model by instruction or discipline.

Singing in a choir helps to form a child's sociality.

Form

To provide (a hare) with a form.

Form

To treat (plates) to prepare them for introduction into a storage battery, causing one plate to be composed more or less of spongy lead, and the other of lead peroxide. This was formerly done by repeated slow alternations of the charging current, but later the plates or grids were coated or filled, one with a paste of red lead and the other with litharge, introduced into the cell, and formed by a direct charging current.

Form

The shape and structure of anything, as distinguished from the material of which it is composed; particular disposition or arrangement of matter, giving it individuality or distinctive character; configuration; figure; external appearance.

The form of his visage was changed.

And woven close close, both matter, form, and style.

Form

Constitution; mode of construction, organization, etc.; system; as, a republican form of government.

Form

Established method of expression or practice; fixed way of proceeding; conventional or stated scheme; formula; as, a form of prayer.

Those whom form of lawsCondemned to die.

Form

Show without substance; empty, outside appearance; vain, trivial, or conventional ceremony; conventionality; formality; as, a matter of mere form.

Though well we may not pass upon his lifeWithout the form of justice.

Form

Orderly arrangement; shapeliness; also, comeliness; elegance; beauty.

The earth was without form and void.

He hath no form nor comeliness.

Form

A shape; an image; a phantom.

Form

That by which shape is given or determined; mold; pattern; model.

Form

A long seat; a bench; hence, a rank of students in a school; a class; also, a class or rank in society.

Form

The seat or bed of a hare.

As in a form sitteth a weary hare.

Form

The type or other matter from which an impression is to be taken, arranged and secured in a chase.

Form

The boundary line of a material object. In (painting), more generally, the human body.

Form

The particular shape or structure of a word or part of speech; as, participial forms; verbal forms.

Form

The combination of planes included under a general crystallographic symbol. It is not necessarily a closed solid.

Form

That assemblage or disposition of qualities which makes a conception, or that internal constitution which makes an existing thing to be what it is; - called essential or substantial form, and contradistinguished from matter; hence, active or formative nature; law of being or activity; subjectively viewed, an idea; objectively, a law.

Form

Mode of acting or manifestation to the senses, or the intellect; as, water assumes the form of ice or snow. In modern usage, the elements of a conception furnished by the mind's own activity, as contrasted with its object or condition, which is called the matter; subjectively, a mode of apprehension or belief conceived as dependent on the constitution of the mind; objectively, universal and necessary accompaniments or elements of every object known or thought of.

Form

The peculiar characteristics of an organism as a type of others; also, the structure of the parts of an animal or plant.

Form

To give form or shape to; to frame; to construct; to make; to fashion.

God formed man of the dust of the ground.

The thought that labors in my forming brain.

Form

To give a particular shape to; to shape, mold, or fashion into a certain state or condition; to arrange; to adjust; also, to model by instruction and discipline; to mold by influence, etc.; to train.

'T is education forms the common mind.

Thus formed for speed, he challenges the wind.

Form

To go to make up; to act as constituent of; to be the essential or constitutive elements of; to answer for; to make the shape of; - said of that out of which anything is formed or constituted, in whole or in part.

The diplomatic politicians . . . who formed by far the majority.

Form

To derive by grammatical rules, as by adding the proper suffixes and affixes.

Form

To treat (plates) so as to bring them to fit condition for introduction into a storage battery, causing one plate to be composed more or less of spongy lead, and the other of lead peroxide. This was formerly done by repeated slow alternations of the charging current, but now the plates or grids are coated or filled, one with a paste of red lead and the other with litharge, introduced into the cell, and formed by a direct charging current.

Form

To take a form, definite shape, or arrangement; as, the infantry should form in column.

Form

To run to a form, as a hare.

Form

The phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something;

The inflected forms of a word can be represented by a stem and a list of inflections to be attached

Form

A category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality;

Sculpture is a form of art

What kinds of desserts are there?

Form

A perceptual structure;

The composition presents problems for students of musical form

A visual pattern must include not only objects but the spaces between them

Form

Any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline);

He could barely make out their shapes through the smoke

Form

Alternative names for the body of a human being;

Leonardo studied the human body

He has a strong physique

The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak

Form

The spatial arrangement of something as distinct from its substance;

Geometry is the mathematical science of shape

Form

The visual appearance of something or someone;

The delicate cast of his features

Form

(physical chemistry) a distinct state of matter in a system; matter that is identical in chemical composition and physical state and separated from other material by the phase boundary;

The reaction occurs in the liquid phase of the system

Form

A printed document with spaces in which to write;

He filled out his tax form

Form

(biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups;

A new strain of microorganisms

Form

An arrangement of the elements in a composition or discourse;

The essay was in the form of a dialogue

He first sketches the plot in outline form

Form

A particular mode in which something is manifested;

His resentment took the form of extreme hostility

Form

A body of students who are taught together;

Early morning classes are always sleepy

Form

An ability to perform well;

He was at the top of his form

The team was off form last night

Form

A life-size dummy used to display clothes

Form

A mold for setting concrete;

They built elaborate forms for pouring the foundation

Form

To compose or represent:

This wall forms the background of the stage setting

The branches made a roof

This makes a fine introduction

Form

Create (as an entity);

Social groups form everywhere

They formed a company

Form

Develop into a distinctive entity;

Our plans began to take shape

Form

Give a shape or form to;

Shape the dough

Form

Make something, usually for a specific function;

She molded the riceballs carefully

Form cylinders from the dough

Shape a figure

Work the metal into a sword

Form

Establish or impress firmly in the mind;

We imprint our ideas onto our children

Form

Give shape to;

Form the clay into a head

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