Meaning & use
formalities
Official procedures or rules that must be followed, often as a matter of custom.
See it in a sentence
Once the legal formalities were completed, the sale of the house was final.
They skipped the formalities and greeted each other with a warm hug instead.
A note on using this word
Formalities often refers to bureaucratic steps that feel routine rather than meaningful, as in "just a formality."
Words with a similar meaning
proceduresprotocols
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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