format
noun
for·mat
| \ ˈfȯr-ˌmat
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\
Definition of format
(Entry 1 of 2)
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
verb
formatted;
formatting
Definition of format (Entry 2 of 2)
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
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Synonyms for format
Synonyms: Noun
arrangement, configuration, conformation, formation, layout, setout, setup
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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
Zapien said the format of the scrimmage will be 10 plays by the No. — Robert Avery, Houston Chronicle, "Pasadena anxious to test its new defensive scheme in scrimmage with Baytown Lee," 14 Aug. 2019 Statcheck runs on the strict data-presentation format used by the American Psychological Association. — David Adam, Scientific American, "How a Data Detective Exposed Suspicious Medical Trials," 6 Aug. 2019 Registration and continental breakfast starts at 7 a.m., with a rules review at 7:30 a.m. and a shotgun start at 8 a.m. The format for the event is Captain’s Choice Scramble. — Gabrielle Copeland Schoeffield, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "West Carroll: One Last Round for George Golf Tournament to benefit Taneytown History Museum," 5 Aug. 2019 The winners had spent four years revamping their game, to focus mainly on the one-day international (ODI) format used in the World Cup, rather than five-day Test matches or quick-fire T20 fixtures. — M.j., The Economist, "How England won the Cricket World Cup," 18 July 2019 Third, this format is not a natural one for me at all. — Joe Garofoli, SFChronicle.com, "Andrew Yang doing better than many veteran politicians in first White House run," 16 July 2019 The format of the hearing has been under negotiation for the last few days, in part over a limitation that just 22 members from each committee would be able to ask questions. — Rebecca Kaplan, CBS News, "Robert Mueller's congressional testimony could be delayed," 12 July 2019 Nadler wouldn’t comment on the format after being repeatedly asked about it by Republicans. — Mary Clare Jalonick, BostonGlobe.com, "House panel authorizes subpoenas tied to Mueller report," 11 July 2019 But every laugh underscored how mismatched to the purpose this format was. — Emily Dreyfuss, WIRED, "Hollywood Tried to Save America with a Live Reading of the Mueller Report," 25 June 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Instead of resorting to the functional format, use great content, organization, formatting, achievements and a strong qualifications summary to grab the reader’s attention. — Dear Sam | Expert Resume, cleveland.com, "Use your resume’s cover letter to facilitate the storytelling of your brand," 16 Aug. 2019 At the time, Wikipedia pages were clunky and poorly formatted, packed with low-quality photos and too much information. — Taylor Lorenz, The Atlantic, "A Wikipedia for Generation Z," 25 July 2019 Less than a quarter of those mismatches had to do with voter information, according to the audit; the rest were the result of time stamps formatted differently on documents. — Alexei Koseff, SFChronicle.com, "Problems with DMV voter program didn’t hurt election, study finds," 9 Aug. 2019 The two used Adobe Suite to format the book and used the self-publishing website LuLu to print it. — Elliot Hughes, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "This mother-daughter duo just published a children's book about the history of Greendale," 17 June 2019 The basics of the application, including calculation, formatting, and charts, will be covered. — Max Jungreis, BostonGlobe.com, "Weekend agenda," 1 Aug. 2019 The Los Angeles Times story reported: Thousand of lives can be saved in the event of any atomic attack by observance of only four rules formatted by the U.S. government. — Scott Harrison, Los Angeles Times, "From the Archives: A-Bomb survival guide," 26 July 2019 This exclusive with chef Alex Guarnaschelli includes a presentation and Q&A formatted conversation with the chef. — Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, "Food Network celebrity chef Alex Guarnaschelli due at Free Press Wine + Food event," 23 June 2019 This exclusive with chef Alex Guarnaschelli includes a presentation and Q&A formatted conversation with the chef. — Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, "Food Network celebrity chef Alex Guarnaschelli due at Free Press Wine + Food event," 23 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'format.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for format
format
noun
English Language Learners Definition of format
(Entry 1 of 2)
: the form, design, or arrangement of something (such as a book, magazine, or television or radio program)
: the way in which information is stored on a computer disk
format
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of format (Entry 2 of 2)
: to arrange (something) in a particular format
: to prepare (a computer disk) so that it can store information in a particular format
See the full definition for format in the English Language Learners Dictionary
format
noun
for·mat
| \ ˈfȯr-ˌmat
\
\
Kids Definition of format
(Entry 1 of 2)
: the general organization or arrangement of something
format
verb
formatted;
formatting
Kids Definition of format (Entry 2 of 2)
1