formalities

noun

plural of formality
1
as in courtesies
an act or utterance that is a customary show of good manners bowing to your guest is a formality you don't need to perform for me

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in rituals
an oft-repeated action or series of actions performed in accordance with tradition or a set of rules churchgoers loved the formalities of a traditional Christmas Eve candlelight service

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of formalities Transfers, formalities, excursions, and ground transportation are handled throughout. — Guy Bigiaoui, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026 Yet with all the formalities, there’s still a lot of uncertainty about just what the TIFF Market will look like. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026 Mackz has found that running can strip away some of the formalities of an interview and make space for more honest conversations. — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2026 Arfsten is expected to travel in the coming days to complete the move, pending formalities, sources say. — Tom Bogert, New York Times, 31 July 2026 During the 2000s, Villa Certosa became a global catalyst of international political discussion, while remaining at a comfortable remove from the protocols and formalities of the traditional places of government. — Mattia Ferraresi, Air Mail, 18 July 2026 Gerrymandering makes many general elections little more than formalities. — J.c. Polanco, New York Daily News, 17 July 2026 The bodies of the victims were being transported to Ho Chi Minh City before being flown to India after official formalities, according to the embassy. — CBS News, 13 July 2026 There’s no swanky reception desk, no concierge in pristine uniform, no formalities at all in fact. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formalities
  1. courtesies
  2. rituals
  3. gestures
  4. ceremonies
  5. rites
  6. observances
Noun
  • Small courtesies keep big efforts moving forward.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2026
  • With both courtesies and catastrophes refusing to conform, the canton’s school board, publishers, and clergy were forced to produce multiple editions of primers, textbooks, and catechisms; sometimes five parallel print runs were needed for a population the size of a town.
    — Simon Akam, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Definition of courtesies
Noun
  • The High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is designed for daily wellness rituals, offering one of the highest concentrations of polyphenols and oleocanthal available.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The film’s multigenerational story touches on the cultural inheritance passed between mothers, daughters and grandmothers — whether through old traditions or ordinary rituals.
    — Johanna Ferreira, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of rituals
Noun
  • We had been told not to point, lest our gestures attract a sniper’s bullets.
    — Nicolas Niarchos, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The gestures of moving, being, and breathing coalesced for Kristin as this poem, which emerged from the state of presence that is meditation-in-action.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of gestures
Noun
  • Rice’s recent focus has been as the head of ceremonies and content for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games — but now Rice focuses on a more urgent task.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Buses will leave up to 45 minutes after the conclusion of the event, including any post-game ceremonies unless otherwise noted.
    — Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of ceremonies
Noun
  • At that time, the Catholic Church banned funeral rites and burial on consecrated grounds for those who died by suicide.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Formal rites for the dying, already limited, were further truncated or skipped entirely.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of rites
Noun
  • Although their mythological associations and forms of celebration differ by region, both are marked by major religious and communal observances and festivities.
    — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Most people can safely fast for Yom Kippur or other religious or cultural observances.
    — Reed Berger-Fleishman, The Conversation, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of observances

Browse Nearby Words

formalistic
formalities
formality
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Cite this Entry

“Formalities.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formalities. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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