Formal example sentences
Related (13): ceremony, official, ceremonial, conventional, rigid, stiff, proper, dignified, informal, casual, relaxed, formality, formally
"Formal" Example Sentences
Common Phrases
- formal attire
- formal education
- formal complaint
- formal agreement
- formal dinner
- formal dress code
- formal letter
- formal occasion
- formal request
- formal procedure
- formal apology
- formal announcement
Examples by Level
A1
- Formal clothes are for special events.
- She wore formal shoes to the wedding.
A2
- The formal dinner started at seven o'clock sharp.
- He used formal language when speaking to his teacher.
B1
- The formal invitation arrived three weeks before the event.
- She felt uncomfortable in formal situations because she preferred being casual.
B2
- His formal tone suggested he was angry, though his words remained polite.
- The company's formal policies didn't account for people actually working from home.
C1
- The formal constraints of the genre prevented her from exploring the narrative possibilities she envisioned.
- What began as a formal business relationship gradually transformed into something more collaborative and genuine.
C2
- There's a particular exhaustion that comes from maintaining formal distance with someone you've known intimately — the pretense becomes its own kind of intimacy.
- The formal apparatus of the institution obscured rather than clarified the actual mechanisms of power operating beneath its surface.
Examples by Scenario
🏠 Everyday Life
- My mom insists on formal place settings even when it's just the three of us.
- I hate wearing formal clothes to family dinners — why can't we just be comfortable?
💼 Workplace
- The formal dress code on Fridays makes everyone look miserable.
- She switched to a formal tone the moment the client walked into the conference room.
📊 Business
- The formal contract was reviewed by three lawyers before anyone signed it.
- We need to issue a formal statement about the merger by end of day.
🛒 Buying / Shopping
- Do I really need formal shoes for this wedding, or can I get away with nice flats?
- The formal wear section was picked over — apparently everyone had the same event this weekend.
✈️ Travel
- The resort's formal dining room was stunning but we ate at the casual restaurant instead.
- The formal dress code for the cruise ship's main dining room felt ridiculous on vacation.
📚 Education
- Formal education teaches you facts, but nobody teaches you how to actually think.
- The teacher's formal lecture style put half the class to sleep.
❤️ Relationships
- After the fight, they kept things formal and distant for weeks.
- He sent a formal apology text, which somehow made it worse instead of better.
📰 News / Politics
- The senator issued a formal statement denying the allegations.
- The formal investigation revealed what everyone already suspected.
💻 Technology
- The formal error message didn't explain what actually went wrong.
- The app's formal interface felt outdated compared to competitors.
📝 Formal Writing
- The formal structure of the research paper required adherence to strict citation guidelines.
- The formal tone of the legal document made it nearly impossible for a layperson to understand.