Formats

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈfɔɹ.mæts/

Definitions

1. Different arrangements or processes utilized to organize and exhibit data in a coherent manner
2. Varied configurations or systems used to display and manage data effectively
3. Distinct arrangements or structures created for the purpose of organizing and presenting information clearly

Etymology: "Formats" is the plural of "format," and the noun's core meaning, a book's size and shape, is older than any talk of computer files. The word comes via French "format" and German "Format" from New Latin "liber formatus," meaning "book fashioned," with the Latin root "formare," "to shape, fashion." Printers used the term for the way a sheet is folded to produce a book of a given size, so a folio, quarto, or octavo was a particular format. From that printing sense, the word spread outward to mean the overall shape, arrangement, or layout of anything. That broader sense is what lies behind the plural here: it refers to the different ways data can be arranged and presented, such as the structure of a file or the layout of a table. The journey from a folded sheet of paper to a digital file structure keeps the original idea of giving something a definite shape.

Synonyms: arrangements, structures, layouts

Antonyms: disorganization, chaos