formalise

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Word: Formalise (or "Formalize" in American English)

Part of Speech: Verb

Definition: To make something official or legal. When you formalise something, you give it a structure or recognition that it didn't have before. This can include agreeing on rules, making an appointment official, or putting something in writing.

Usage Instructions:

• Use "formalise" when you want to talk about making an agreement, plan, or appointment official.
• It often involves documents, signatures, or an official process.

Example Sentence:

• "We formalised the appointment and gave him a title." (This means that they made the appointment official by giving it a recognized status.)

Advanced Usage:

• In a business context, you might say, "The company decided to formalise its partnership with a written agreement." This means they are making their partnership official and legally binding.

Word Variants:

• Formalisation (British English) / Formalization (American English): This noun refers to the process of making something formal.
  • Example: "The formalisation of the agreement took several months."

Different Meanings:

• In some contexts, "formalise" can also mean to clarify or structure an idea or process.
  • Example: "We need to formalise our strategy before presenting it to the board."

Synonyms:

• Officialize
• Ratify
• Establish
• Confirm

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are not many idioms specifically for "formalise," but you might encounter phrases like:
  • "Put it in writing" – This means to write down an agreement to make it formal.
  • "Sign on the dotted line" – This means to officially agree to something, often by signing a contract.

Summary:

"Formalise" is a verb that means to make something official or legal.

Academic

Verb

1. declare or make legally valid
2. make formal or official
   • We formalized the appointment and gave him a title

Synonyms

• validate
• formalize