English → Latin
“formal” in Latin
sollemnisyearly, annual; established, appointed, fixed; common, usual, customary, ordinary, ritual, traditionalvērustrue, real, actual (conforming to the actual state of reality or fact; factually correct); true, genuine (not counterfeiiūstusjust, righteous; lawful, legal; justified, merited, well-deserved, duelēgitimuslawful, legal, legitimate; legal (of or pertaining to the law); legitimate (born of married parents)urbānusof or belonging to a city; urban; fond of, or devoted to cities; cultivated, sophisticated, polished, refined
The English word formal itself goes back to Latin fōrma, through fōrmālis.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
formal
sollemnis (solemn): verus (true, real): justus (proper; such as it ought to be): legitimus (according to the established custom or law): fictus et simulatus or fictus simulatusque (pretended; e.g., pietas): ad legem ac regulam compositus (made by strict formal rules, Quint., 12, 10, 50): ☞ formalis = serving for a form or model, Quint.; e.g., formalem epistolam dictare (Suet.). A formal person, *homo nimis officiosus or urbanus (over-ceremonious).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for formal?
- The usual Latin words for “formal” are sollemnis, vērus, iūstus; also lēgitimus, urbānus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.