Formality vs. Informality — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Formality and Informality
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Compare with Definitions
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. A formality may be as simple as a handshake upon making new acquaintances in Western culture to the carefully defined procedure of bows, handshakes, formal greetings, and business card exchanges that may mark two businessmen being introduced in Japan.
Informality
The state or quality of being informal.
Formality
The quality or condition of being formal.
Informality
An informal act.
Formality
Rigorous or ceremonious adherence to established forms, rules, or customs.
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Informality
The condition of being informal.
Formality
An established form, rule, or custom, especially one followed merely for the sake of procedure or decorum.
Informality
The state of being informal; lack of regular, prescribed, or customary form; as, the informality of legal proceedings.
Formality
(uncountable) The state of being formal.
Informality
An informal, unconventional, or unofficial act or proceeding; something which is not in proper or prescribed form or does not conform to the established rule.
Formality
Something said or done as a matter of form.
Informality
A manner that does not take forms and ceremonies seriously
Formality
A customary ritual without new or unique meaning.
The examination for priesthood is no mere formality, so we have to study well.
Informality
Freedom from constraint or embarrassment;
I am never at ease with strangers
Formality
(countable) A specific requirement for obtaining a legal status, conducting a transaction, etc.
Formality
The condition or quality of being formal, strictly ceremonious, precise, etc.
Formality
Form without substance.
Such [books] as are mere pieces of formality, so that if you look on them, you look though them.
Formality
Compliance with formal or conventional rules; ceremony; conventionality.
Nor was his attendance on divine offices a matter of formality and custom, but of conscience.
Formality
An established order; conventional rule of procedure; usual method; habitual mode.
He was installed with all the usual formalities.
Formality
The dress prescribed for any body of men, academical, municipal, or sacerdotal.
The doctors attending her in their formalities as far as Shotover.
Formality
That which is formal; the formal part.
It unties the inward knot of marriage, . . . while it aims to keep fast the outward formality.
Formality
The quality which makes a thing what it is; essence.
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.
The formality of the vow lies in the promise made to God.
Formality
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.
Formality
A requirement of etiquette or custom
Formality
A manner that strictly observes all forms and ceremonies
Formality
Compliance with formal rules
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