formalize

verb

for·​mal·​ize ˈfȯr-mə-ˌlīz How to pronounce formalize (audio)
formalized; formalizing
Synonyms of formalizenext

transitive verb

1
: to give a certain or definite form to : shape
2
a
: to make formal
b
: to give formal status or approval to
formalizable
ˈfȯr-mə-ˌlī-zə-bəl How to pronounce formalize (audio)
adjective
formalization
ˌfȯr-mə-lə-ˈzā-shən How to pronounce formalize (audio)
noun
formalizer
ˈfȯr-mə-ˌlī-zər How to pronounce formalize (audio)
noun

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of formalize in a Sentence

The company has formalized its hiring practices. Congress formalized the policy by making it law.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Dickens said the administration will hold community meetings to discuss the new vision, which the city must formalize with MARTA. — Thomas Wheatley, Axios, 14 Mar. 2025 Researchers like me, who study death and dying, hoped that such scenes would spur more Americans to embrace end-of-life planning by discussing their wishes with family members and by completing an advance directive, which formalizes those wishes into a legal document. — Anisah Bagasra, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2025 Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez, a Republican and sponsor of the legislation approving the 287(g) agreement, described the vote as formalizing ICE assistance that largely already exists at Miami-Dade jails. — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2025 Forbes is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Think about how much intellectual capital a firm loses over time: The lessons learned from client projects never get formalized into reusable frameworks. — Rhea Wessel, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for formalize

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of formalize was in 1646

Rhymes for formalize

See All Rhymes for formalize

Browse Nearby Words

formalize
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Formalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/formalize. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

formalize

verb
for·​mal·​ize ˈfȯr-mə-ˌlīz How to pronounce formalize (audio)
formalized; formalizing
1
: to make formal
2
: to give formal rank or approval to
formalization
ˌfȯr-mə-lə-ˈzā-shən How to pronounce formalize (audio)
noun
formalizer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on formalize

Nglish: Translation of formalize for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
number-twelve-balloon
12-Letter Words Quiz A dozen words, a dozen letters each.
See All