format
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format
- /ˈfɔː(ɹ).mæt/ UK
- /ˈfɔːɹ.mæt/ US
Where it comes from
Via French format and German Format, from New Latin liber fōrmātus (“book fashioned”), from fōrmō (“to shape, fashion”).
noun formats
- The layout of a publication or document. The older manuscripts had been written in a much larger format than that found convenient for university work.
- The form of presentation of something.
- The type of programming that a radio station broadcasts; such as a certain genre of music, news, sports, talk, etc. The radio station changed the format of its evening program.
- A file type.
verb formats · formatting · formatted
- To create or edit the layout of a document.
-
Change a document so it will fit onto a different type of page.
Similar: reformat
-
To prepare a mass storage medium for initial use, erasing any existing data in the process.
I lost weeks of work when I inadvertently formatted my hard drive.
Similar: initialise
Similar: initialize
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: initialize, arrange, data format, data formatting, edition, file, print, reporting, notation, copy, design, figure, description, template, diagram, outline
verb
Similar: initialize
Translations
Every language
noun layout of a document
| Español | formato |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 포맷 pomaet |
| 日本語 | 書式 shoshiki, フォーマット fōmatto |
| 中文 | 格式 géshì, 開本 /开本 kāiběn |
| Português | formato |
| Français | format |
| Deutsch | Format |
| Italiano | formato |
| Română | format |
| Русский | форма́т formát |
| Tiếng Việt | khổ (sách, giấy, bìa) |
noun form of presentation
| Español | formato |
|---|---|
| Português | formato |
| Français | format |
| Deutsch | Struktur, Format |
| Русский | структу́ра struktúra, форма́т formát |
noun computing: file type
| Español | formato |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 形式 keishiki, フォーマット fōmatto |
| 中文 | 格式 géshì |
| Português | formato |
| Français | format |
| Deutsch | Format |
| Italiano | format |
| Română | format |
| Русский | форма́т formát |
| Tiếng Việt | định dạng, dạng thức, kiểu |
verb create or edit the layout of a document
| Español | formatear |
|---|---|
| Português | formatar |
| Русский | формати́ровать formatírovatʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | thiết kế |
verb change a document so it will fit onto a different type of page
| Tiếng Việt | sắp xếp lại |
|---|
verb computing: prepare a mass storage medium for initial use
| Español | formatear |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 初期化する shokika suru, フォーマットする fōmatto suru |
| 中文 | 格式化 géshìhuà |
| Português | formatar |
| Français | formater |
| Deutsch | formatieren |
| Italiano | formattare |
| Ελληνικά | διαμόρφωση diamórfosi |
| Română | formata |
| Русский | формати́ровать formatírovatʹ |
Talk about this word "format." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/format. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. format. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/format "format." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/format.Cite this
@misc{format_2026,
title = {format},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/format},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
