formality

Definitions

1. The state of being formal.
   uncountable
2. Spend of a thing to another, or of a part or stage to another.
3. Something said or done as a matter of form.
   countable, uncountable
4. A customary ritual without substance, real consequence, or unique meaning.
   countable, uncountable
5. A specific requirement for obtaining a legal status, conducting a transaction, etc.
   countable

Equivalents

Examples

“[S]uch an one […] recalls as a vision of Paradise the land⟳ he has learnt to love⟳; he exaggerates the insalubrity of a northern climate; he bewails the wretched formality of our civilised life, and so, back to the distant solitudes flies his recollection like⟳ a dove to the wilderness.”

“The examination for priesthood is no mere formality, so we have⟳ to study⟳ well.”

CEFR level