1
: the shape, size, and general makeup (as of something printed)
2
: general plan of organization, arrangement, or choice of material (as for a television show)
3
: a method of organizing data (as for storage)
various file formats
formatted; formatting
1
: to arrange (something, such as material to be printed or stored data) in a particular format
2
: to prepare (something, such as a computer disk) for storing data in a particular format
formatter
noun
Examples of format in a Sentence
Noun
The journals are available in electronic format.
The file is saved in MP3 format.
Verb
The book is formatted in several different styles.
The data was improperly formatted.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ryan Waniata, Wired News, 10 Apr. 2025
The teams will play in a round-robin format, with each team playing the remaining four teams in the pool.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2025
Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Ensure that your job titles are formatted consistently and reflect industry-standard terminology.
—Andrew Fennell, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for format
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.
Noun
With support for 8K and even 10K video (which essentially doesn't exist for consumers) and all major hi-res audio formats, HDMI 2.1b has your home theater covered for the foreseeable future.
—Ryan Waniata, Wired News, 10 Apr. 2025
The teams will play in a round-robin format, with each team playing the remaining four teams in the pool.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
Due to a formatting change spurred by conference realignment, the Razorbacks were controversially excluded from competing at the 2025 SEC Championships.
—Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Ensure that your job titles are formatted consistently and reflect industry-standard terminology.
—Andrew Fennell, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for format
Cite this Entry
“Format.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/format. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
format
1 of 2 noun
for·mat
ˈfȯ(ə)r-ˌmat 
1
: the general organization or arrangement of something
2
: a method of organizing data (as for storage)
a file format
format
2 of 2 verb
formatted; formatting
1
: to produce in a particular format
2
: to prepare for storing computer data
format the disk
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share