Formal
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2008-07-07T11:03:29Z
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/* Social */
{{wiktionarypar|formal}}
The term '''formal''' has a number of uses, including:
==General==
*relating to [[formality]]
*opposite of '''informal'''
==Social==
* [[Formal occasion]]
** [[Formal attire]] worn on such occasions
** [[Formal (university)|Formals]] are particular meals at some British universities
** In Australian or British English, a '''[[School formal|formal]]''' is the equivalent of the American [[prom]] dance.
** In American English, a '''"formal"''' is organized by a college or university organization, typically but not always a [[fraternities and sororities|fraternity or sorority]].
* [[Informal occasion]] (included as [[Informal]] redirect here); see [[Dress code (Western)]] for the distinctions between Formal, Semi-formal, and Informal
** [[Informal attire]] (not to be confused with Casual -- see [[Dress code (Western)]])
==Philosophical==
* relating to [[form]], i.e. appearance rather than essence.
**relating to [[Formalism]], i.e. emphasis on form over content or meaning.
*[[formal logic#Informal, formal, and symbolic logic|formal logic]] logical argument based only on the form and not on the meaning.
*[[Formal cause]], Aristotle's intrinsic, determining cause.
==Mathematics==
*[[formal power series]], a generalization of power series without requiring convergence, used in combinatorics;
*[[formal calculation]], a calculation which is systematic, but without a rigorous justification;
*[[formal set theory]] as opposed to naive set theory;
*[[formal derivative]], an operation on elements of a polynomial ring which mimics the form of the derivative from calculus.
===Logic and Language===
*[[formal system]], an abstract means of generating inferences in a formal language;
**[[formal language]], comprising the symbolic "words" or "sentences" of a formal system;
***[[formal grammar]], a grammar describing a formal language;
**[[formal proof]], a fully rigorous proof as is possible only in a formal system.
==Computer science==
*[[formal methods]] in computer science, including:
**[[formal specification]] describes what a system should do, not how it should do it
**[[formal verification]] proves correctness of a system
See also the Language section of Mathematics, above
==Linguistic==
*[[Formal equivalence]] word-for-word translation (especially of the Bible)
See also the Language section of Mathematics, above
==Chemical==
*A [[Concentration#Formal|unit of concentration]]
*short or prefix form for [[formalin]]
*short or prefix form for [[formaldehyde]]
*synonym for [[dimethoxymethane]]
==See also==
* [[Informal economy]]
{{disambig}}
[[de:Formalität]]
[[fr:Formel]]
[[it:Formalità]]
[[nl:Formeel]]
[[simple:Formal]]