format

1 of 2

noun

for·​mat ˈfȯr-ˌmat 

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

format

2 of 2

verb

formatted; formatting

transitive verb

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

Synonyms

Noun

• arrangement
• configuration
• conformation
• formation
• layout
• setout
• setup

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

Noun

So the Casa comes into our wide-frame format in a way that just feels so beautifully observed. —Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2024

This is because rather than a distinct format of its own, a la Dolby Cinema, which as well as the projector includes the décor and seats and audio, Barco by HDR only refers to the projection technology used. —Benny Har-Even, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Verb

The tool can modify sentences or longer sections of text to shorten or lengthen the word count, change the tone, or format it in a different way. —Kate Irwin, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024

To launch this scheme, the attackers created numerous deceptive URLs formatted like this: hxxps://your-state.gov/login.html?relaystate=hxxps://bad-page.com. —Alex Vakulov, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French or German; French, from German, from Latin formatus, past participle of formare to form, from forma

First Known Use

Noun

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1964, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing format

• pre-format

Kids 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