format

B1 Topic:General Vocabulary

US /ˈfɔːɹ.mæt/ UK /ˈfɔː(ɹ).mæt/ See IPA manual

Freq #19067

Meanings

1

noun
The way something is arranged, designed, or presented.

The new format of the magazine is much easier to read.
2

noun
The way computer information is organized and stored.

Please save the file in PDF format.
3

verb
To prepare a computer disk for use, erasing all the data on it.

I lost weeks of work when I accidentally formatted my hard drive.
4

verb
To arrange text or data in a particular way.

He formatted the document with clear headings and spacing.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · the way computer... data format

3 verb · to prepare a computer disk... initialize

4 verb · to arrange text or data in... arrange

Word family

Forms formatsformattedformatting

Derived forms autoformatdeformate-formatformatizeformattableformatterformattingmicroformatmisformatmultiformatoverformatpreformat

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

data format
the structure or arrangement used to store or process information

Noun + noun

Etymology

Via French format and German Format, from New Latin liber fōrmātus (“book fashioned”), from fōrmō (“to shape, fashion”).

format French Format German liber la-new

View etymology graph ->

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# format

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈfɔːɹ.mæt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈfɔː(ɹ).mæt/
**Frequency rank:** 19067

## Meanings
1. The way something is arranged, designed, or presented.
2. The way computer information is organized and stored.
3. To prepare a computer disk for use, erasing all the data on it.
4. To arrange text or data in a particular way.

## Examples
- The new format of the magazine is much easier to read.
- Please save the file in PDF format.
- I lost weeks of work when I accidentally formatted my hard drive.
- He formatted the document with clear headings and spacing.

## Synonyms
- initialize

## Derived Forms
- autoformat
- deformat
- e-format
- formatize
- formattable
- formatter
- formatting
- microformat
- misformat
- multiformat
- overformat
- preformat

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: format
- Root: Format
- Root: liber

## Etymology
Via French format and German Format, from New Latin liber fōrmātus (“book fashioned”), from fōrmō (“to shape, fashion”).

## AI Etymology
Format is described etymologically as via French format and German Format, from New Latin liber fōrmātus (“book fashioned”), from fōrmō (“to shape, fashion”). In current use, the main senses are “The way something is arranged, designed, or presented” and “The way computer information is organized and stored”.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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