How to Use formality in a Sentence

formality

noun

• They haven't approved the loan yet, but that's just a mere formality.
• Her use of old-fashioned language lends an air of formality to her writing.
• He failed to appreciate the formality of the occasion.
• The German parliament will vote on its establishment in the coming weeks, although this step is seen as a mere formality.
  — Sophie Tanno, CNN, 3 Nov. 2024
• This gives Nancy a moment’s hope, but no, the identification process is a legal formality.
  — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2024
• By the ninth, the lead had ballooned to 21-12 and the last three outs seemed a formality.
  — Joe Freeman, oregonlive, 29 May 2022
• By that point, the outcome of the game was a formality.
  — James Boyd, The Indianapolis Star, 25 Mar. 2022
• The vote is something of a formality given that the deal is on hold while the court case plays out.
  — Marcy Gordon, Chicago Tribune, 12 Sep. 2022
• The top ski rentals from Aspen to the French Alps now shun formality.
  — Tom Weijand, Robb Report, 15 Feb. 2024
• The requests lent an air of formality to a process condemned by the West.
  — Eric Nagourney, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2022
• The pumpkins create the homey, fall look, but a sleek glass dome adds a touch of class and formality.
  — Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Oct. 2023
• And there was a sort of formality about being the captain.
  — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2023
• But there was no way a night like this could end with mere formalities.
  — David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2024
• At the start of the night, Game 5 of this opening-round playoff series against the Hawks seemed like a formality.
  — Adam Himmelsbach, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Apr. 2023
• By the final buzzer, those two things seemed like a mere formality.
  — al, 25 Nov. 2022
• Chen basked in the spotlight in the middle of the ice, then headed off to hear his scores, which by that point were a mere formality.
  — Dave Skretta, chicagotribune.com, 10 Feb. 2022
• Of course, that was mostly a formality after the season that the Suns have had.
  — Andy Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 29 Apr. 2021
• In past years, that process has often been viewed as a formality.
  — Liz Navratil, Star Tribune, 21 July 2021
• McKinley has been on the job for several months, so the move was a mere formality.
  — cleveland, 11 Nov. 2021
• The handsome men still put plates in front of both of us, the formality, but Leigh Anne would listen to the description, nod, and then push it to me.
  — Kevin Wilson, Bon Appétit, 9 Feb. 2022
• The more likely scenario is that this is just a formality.
  — Nate Atkins, The Indianapolis Star, 24 Apr. 2023
• By then, a new career best seemed to be mere formality.
  — Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 28 Mar. 2022
• To be finalized, the deal must now be signed by the judge overseeing the case, though that step is formality.
  — Bill Donahue, Billboard, 2 May 2024
• The challenges never feel ramped up, and the queens largely treat them as formalities.
  — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 5 Apr. 2024
• Once this is approved by team owners, which is said to be a formality at this point, the lockout will be over on day 99.
  — The Arizona Republic, 10 Mar. 2022
• The midi-length works for any level of formality, just dress it up or down with the right shoes and accessories.
  — Raena Loper, Good Housekeeping, 25 May 2022
• Plus, the formality of their lives means that catching them off duty—Kate in her Wellies and jeans—is enthralling.
  — Clare Malone, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2022
• The rest of the second half was more a formality than a competitive game.
  — The Salt Lake Tribune, 31 Mar. 2021
• The whole thing seems like a formality; but Katagas instructs the assessors to meet with the physicist that day.
  — Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 15 Aug. 2024
• But imagine how contentious the day might have been if Congress’s role had been more than a formality.
  — John Steele Gordon, WSJ, 22 Feb. 2021

Last Updated: 18 Dec 2024