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.
  • Once Turpin hit the spin move, the rest of the play was a formality.
    — Saad Yousuf, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 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 formalities drew to a close and the crowds lined up for free plates of barbecue.
    — Beth Spotswood, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 May 2018
  • By the time spring rolled around, the title was a formality.
    — Joshua Robinson, WSJ, 14 May 2018
  • The vote is something of a formality given that the deal is on hold while the court case plays out.
    — Marcy Gordon, ajc, 12 Sep. 2022
  • 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
  • Still, there are linens on the tables, gratis bread, servers in vests and ties — a dash of formality for not a lot of bank.
    — Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 25 Nov. 2019
  • And there was a sort of formality about being the captain.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2023
  • The Braves placed Hamels on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Sept. 18, but that was a mere formality.
    — Paul Newberry, orlandosentinel.com, 22 Sep. 2020
  • The Braves placed Hamels on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Sept. 18, but that was a mere formality.
    — Paul Newberry, Star Tribune, 21 Sep. 2020
  • 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
  • Third-base coach Matt Williams waved Adames home, but that was a mere formality.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 18 June 2025
  • But there’s a dense, formality to Muñoz’s paintings that speaks to his penchant for the Baroque.
    — Stacie Stukin, ARTnews.com, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Some of the strands have tiny tassels to add a touch of formality to a banister.
    — oregonlive, 28 Nov. 2020
  • Trump will try to make that final step more than a formality, of course.
    — John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2020
  • 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
  • The club has been linked with a move for Fekir for a while, with many expecting the deal to be a matter of formality now.
    — SI.com, 15 May 2018
  • Of course, that was mostly a formality after the season that the Suns have had.
    — Andy Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 29 Apr. 2021
  • Little Miami sprinted to a 35-0 lead, and from there the rest of the evening was a mere formality.
    — Adam Baum, The Enquirer, 19 Sep. 2020
  • But even if newscasts come with a certain level of formality, the anchors that ground the programs are only human.
    — Kyler Alvord, People.com, 18 June 2025
  • Qualification now seems a formality but the team hasn’t yet shown the conviction of a side that can compete for the biggest prize of all next summer.
    — Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'formality.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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