FORMALIZE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does formalize mean? 

• FORMALIZE (verb)
  The verb FORMALIZE has 2 senses:

1. make formal or official

2. declare or make legally valid

  Familiarity information: FORMALIZE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FORMALIZE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they formalize    ... he / she / it formalizes   
Past simple: formalized   
Past participle: formalized   
-ing form: formalizing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make formal or official

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

formalise; formalize

Context example:

We formalized the appointment and gave him a title

Hypernyms (to "formalize" is one way to...):

adjudge; declare; hold (declare to be)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "formalize"):

ritualise; ritualize (make or evolve into a ritual)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

formalization (the act of making formal (as by stating formal rules governing classes of expressions))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Declare or make legally valid

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

formalise; formalize; validate

Hypernyms (to "formalize" is one way to...):

authorise; authorize; clear; pass (grant authorization or clearance for)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "formalize"):

ratify; sign (approve and express assent, responsibility, or obligation)

co-sign; cosign (sign jointly)

probate (establish the legal validity of (wills and other documents))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

formalization (the act of making formal (as by stating formal rules governing classes of expressions))

 Context examples 

As I say, you wanted to formalize me, to make me over into one of your own class, with your class-ideals, class-values, and class-prejudices.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Faith based on a series of beliefs but not formalized into a religion; also, a fixed coherent set of beliefs prevalent in a community or society.

(Belief System, NCI Thesaurus)

You would have formalized me.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)