Formally

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /ˈfɔː.mə.li/

Definitions

1. In an official or ceremonial manner, following established rules, procedures, or conventions
2. In a way that is consistent with formal procedures and conventions, often used in ceremonial or official circumstances
3. In a manner that adheres to established norms and protocols, typically observed in official or ceremonial contexts

Etymology: "Formally" is a plain derivation: the adjective "formal" with the adverb-forming suffix "-ly" added to it. The adjective itself came into English from Latin "formalis", meaning "of or belonging to form", and that Latin word grew from "forma", "shape" or "form". Its deeper ancestry reaches back to a very old root, but the useful picture is simply a shape or pattern that a thing is expected to follow. The suffix has its own long history. The ending descends from an Old English "-līce", itself built on a noun meaning "body" or "form" that appears in words such as "like" in its older sense of "similar in form." Over centuries, that ending became the general-purpose "-ly" that turns adjectives into adverbs describing manner, so "formally" literally means "in a formal manner," that is, in a way that follows the expected shape of a procedure.

Synonyms: officially, ceremoniously, properly

Antonyms: informally, casually