‖n. [ F. or G. Cf. Formation. ] 1. (Print.) The shape and size of a book or other printed publication; hence, its external form. [ wns=2 ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

The older manuscripts had been written in a much larger format than that found convenient for university work. G. H. Putnam. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

One might, indeed, protest that the format is a little too luxurious. Nature. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. (Print.) the arrangement of the parts of a printed page, such as text and graphics; as, text flowing around an illustration provides a more pleasing format; multiple columns are a more common format for large pages. [ PJC ]

3. (Computers) The pattern of organization of information in an electronic storage medium, such as the number and size of records, or the size, spacing, or separation symbols for fields in a record. A computer file, for example, may be in fixed-length format, in which each field or record occupies the same number of bytes, or in variable-length format, in which the lengths of fields or records varies. The number of formats are unlimited, being specifiable at will by programmers or in some cases by the users of programs. [ wns=1 ]
Syn. -- data format. [ PJC ]

4. Hence, The general organization, form, or plan for anything, such as an organized social, political, or entertainment event. [ PJC ]

v. t. to set into a specific format; -- of printed matter or data recorded on a data storage medium.
Syn. -- arrange. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. [ See Formic. ] (Chem.) A salt of formic acid. [ Written also formiate. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. formatio: cf. F. formation. ] 1. The act of giving form or shape to anything; a forming; a shaping. Beattie. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The manner in which a thing is formed; structure; construction; conformation; form; as, the peculiar formation of the heart. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A substance formed or deposited. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Geol.) (a) Mineral deposits and rock masses designated with reference to their origin; as, the siliceous formation about geysers; alluvial formations; marine formations. (b) A group of beds of the same age or period; as, the Eocene formation. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Mil.) The arrangement of a body of troops, as in a square, column, etc. Farrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. formatif. ] 1. Giving form; having the power of giving form; plastic; as, the formative arts. [ 1913 Webster ]

The meanest plant can not be raised without seed, by any formative residing in the soil. Bentley. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Gram.) Serving to form; derivative; not radical; as, a termination merely formative. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Biol.) Capable of growth and development; germinal; as, living or formative matter. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Gram.) (a) That which serves merely to give form, and is no part of the radical, as the prefix or the termination of a word. (b) A word formed in accordance with some rule or usage, as from a root. [ 1913 Webster ]