King James Bible Dictionary

In religious service
1 Chronicles 15:13-14; 2 Chronicles 29:34

Irregularity in
2 Chronicles 30:2-5; 2 Chronicles 30:17-20; Matthew 12:3-4
Church, The Collective Body of Believers, Church and State

FORM, noun [Latin forma.]

1. The shape or external appearance of a body; the figure, as defined by lines and angles; that manner of being peculiar to each body, which exhibits it to the eye as distinct from every other body. Thus we speak of the form of a circle, the form of a square or triangle, a circular form the form of the head or of the human body, a handsome form an ugly form a frightful form

Matter is the basis or substratum of bodies, form is the particular disposition of matter in each body which distinguishes its appearance from that of every other body.

The form of his visage was changed. Daniel 3:19.

After that he appeared in another form to two of them, as they walked. Mark 16:12.

2. Manner of arranging particulars; disposition of particular things; as a form of words or expressions.

3. Model; draught; pattern.

Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me. 2 Timothy 1:13.

4. Beauty; elegance; splendor; dignity.

He hath no form nor comeliness. Isaiah 53:2.

5. Regularity; method; order. This is a rough draught to be reduced to form

6. External appearance without the essential qualities; empty show.

7. Stated method; established practice; ritual or prescribed mode; as the forms of public worship; the forms of judicial proceeding; forms of civility.

8. Ceremony; as, it is a mere matter of form

9. Determinate shape.

The earth was without form and void. Genesis 1:2.

10. Likeness; image.

Who, being in the form of God - Philippians 2:6.

He took on him the form of a servant.

11. Manner; system; as a form of government; a monarchical or republican form

12. Manner of arrangement; disposition of component parts; as the interior form or structure of the flesh or bones, or of other bodies.

13. A long seat; a bench without a back.

14. In schools, a class; a rank of students.

15. The seat or bed of a hare.

16. A mold; something to give shape, or on which things are fashioned.

17. In printing, an assemblage of types, composed and arranged in order, disposed into pages or columns, and inclosed and locked in a chase, to receive an impression.

18. Essential form is that mode of existence which constitutes a thing what it is, and without which it could not exist. Thus water and light have each its particular form of existence, and the parts of water being decomposed, it ceases to be water. Accidental form is not necessary to the existence of a body. Earth is earth still, whatever may be its color.

FORM, verb transitive [Latin formo.]

1. To make or cause to exist.

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground.

Gen 2.

2. To shape; to mold or fashion into a particular shape or state; as, to form an image of stone or clay.

3. To plan; to scheme; to modify.

4. To arrange; to combine in a particular manner; as, to form a line or square of troops.

5. To adjust; to settle.

Our differences with the Romanists are thus formed into an interest -

6. To contrive; to invent; as, to form a design or scheme.

7. To make; up; to frame; to settle by deductions of reason; as, to form an opinion or judgment; to form an estimate.

8. To mold; to model by instruction and discipline; as, to form the mind to virtuous habits by education.

9. To combine; to unite individuals into a collective body; as, to form a society for missions.

10. To make; to establish. The subscribers are formed by law into a corporation. They have formed regulations for their government.

11. To compile; as, to form a body of laws or customs; to form a digest.

12. To constitute; to make. Duplicity forms no part of his character. These facts form a safe foundation for our conclusions. The senate and house of representatives form the legislative body.

13. In grammar, to make by derivation, or by affixes or prefixes. Latin do, in the preterit, forms dedi.

14. To enact; to make; to ordain; as, to form a law or an edict.

FORM, verb intransitive To take a form

FORM'AL, adjective

1. According to form; agreeable to established mode; regular; methodical.

2. Strictly ceremonious; precise; exact to affectation; as a man formal in his dress, his gait or deportment.

3. Done in due form, or with solemnity; express; according to regular method; not incidental, sudden or irregular. He gave his formal consent to the treaty.

4. Regular; methodical; as the formal stars.

5. Having the form or appearance without the substance or essence; external; as formal duty; formal worship.

6. Depending on customary forms.

Still in constraint your suffering sex remains, or bound in formal or in real chains.

7. Having the power of making a thing what it is; constituent; essential.

Of letters the material part is breath and voice; the formal is constituted by the motions and figure of the organs of speech.

8. Retaining its proper and essential characteristic; regular; proper.

To make of him a formal man again.

General references
1 Samuel 15:22; Psalms 50:8-15; Psalms 51:16-17; Psalms 69:30-31; Ecclesiastes 5:1; Isaiah 1:11-15; Isaiah 29:13-16; Jeremiah 6:20; Jeremiah 14:12; Hosea 6:6; Amos 5:21-23; Micah 6:6-7; Malachi 1:6; Malachi 1:8; Malachi 1:10; Malachi 1:13-14; Matthew 9:13; Matthew 12:7; Matthew 15:8-9; Luke 13:24-27; Romans 2:17-29; 1 Corinthians 7:19; Philippians 3:4-7; 2 Timothy 3:1-5
Works

FORM'ALISM, noun Formality. [The latter is generally used.]

FORM'ALIST, noun

1. One who observes forms, or practices external ceremonies. More generally,

2. One who regards appearances only, or observes the forms of worship, without possessing the life and spirit of religion; a hypocrite. A grave face and the regular practice of ceremonies have often gained to a formalist the reputation of piety.

FORMAL'ITY, noun

1. The practice or observance of forms.

Formalities of extraordinary zeal and piety are never more studied and elaborate then in desperate designs.

2. Ceremony; mere conformity to customary modes.

Nor was his attendance on divine offices a matter of formality and custom, but of conscience.

3. Established order; rule of proceeding; mode; method; as the formalities of judicial process; formalities of law.

4. Order; decorum to be observed; customary mode of behavior.

5. Customary mode of dress; habit; robe.

6. External appearance.

7. Essence; the quality which constitutes a thing what it is.

The formality of the vow lies in the promise made to God.

8. In the schools, the manner in which a thing is conceived; or a manner in an object, importing a relation to the understanding, by which it may be distinguished from another object. Thus animality and rationality are formalities.

FORM'ALIZE, verb transitive To model. [Not used.]

FORM'ALIZE, verb intransitive To affect formality. [Little used.]

FORM'ALLY, adverb

1. According to established form, rule, order, rite or ceremony. A treaty was concluded and formally ratified by both parties.

2. Ceremoniously; stiffly; precisely; as, to be stiff and formally reserved.

3. In open appearance; in a visible and apparent state.

You and your followers do stand formally divided against the authorized guides of the church, and the rest of the people.

4. Essentially; characteristically.

That which formally makes this [charity] a christian grace, is the spring from which it flows.

FORMA'TION, noun [Latin formatio.]

1. The act of forming or making; the act of creating or causing to exist; or more generally, the operation of composing, by bringing materials together, or of shaping and giving form; as the formation of the earth; the formation of a state or constitution.

2. Generation; production; as the formation of ideas.

3. The manner in which a thing is formed. Examine the peculiar formation of the heart.

4. In grammar, the act or manner of forming one word from another, as controller from control.

5. In geology, formation may signify a single mass of one kind of rock, more or less extensive, or a collection of mineral substances, formed by the same agent, under the same or similar circumstances; or it may convey the idea, that certain masses or collections of minerals were formed not only by the same agent, but also at the same time. In this latter sense the term is almost always employed.

FORM'ATIVE, adjective

1. Giving form; having the power of giving form; plastic.

The meanest plant cannot be raised without seeds, by any formative power residing in the soil.

2. In grammar, serving to form; derivative; not radical; as a termination merely formative

FORM'ED, participle passive Made; shaped; molded; planned; arranged; combined; enacted; constituted.

FORM'EDON, noun [forma doni.] A writ for the recovery of lands by statute of Westminister.

FORM'ER, noun He that forms; a maker; an author.

FOR'MER, adjective comparative deg.

1. Before in time; preceding another or something else in order of time; opposed to latter.

Her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled. Deuteronomy 24:4.

2. Past, and frequently ancient, long past.

For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age. Job 8:8.

3. Near the beginning; preceding; as the former part of a discourse or argument.

4. Mentioned before another.

A bad author deserves better usage than a bad critic; a man may be the former merely through the misfortune of want of judgment; but he cannot be the latter without both that and an ill temper.

FOR'MERLY, adverb In time past, either in time immediately preceding, or at any indefinite distance; of old; heretofore. We formerly imported slaves from Africa. Nations formerly made slaves of prisoners taken in war.

FORM'FUL, adjective Ready to form; creative; imaginative.

FOR'MIATE, noun [from Latin formica, an ant.] A neutral salt, composed of the formic acid and a base.

FOR'MIC, adjective [Latin formica, an ant.] Pertaining to ants; as the formic acid, the acid of ants.

FORMICA'TION, noun [Latin formicatio, from formico, or formica, an ant.]

A sensation of the body resembling that made by the creeping of ants on the skin.

FORM'IDABLE, adjective [Latin formidabilis, from formido, fear.]

Exciting fear or apprehension; impressing dread; adapted to excite fear and deter from approach, encounter or undertaking. It expresses less than terrible, terrific, tremendous, horrible, and frightful.

They seemed to fear the formidable sight.

I swell my preface into a volume, and make it formidable when you see so many pages behind.

FORM'IDABLENESS, noun The quality of being formidable, or adapted to excite dread.

FORM'IDABLY, adverb In a manner to impress fear.

FORM'LESS, adjective [from form.] Shapeless; without a determinate form; wanting regularity of shape.

FORM'ULA, 'ULE, noun [Latin]

FORM'ULARY, noun [from Latin formula.]

1. A book containing stated and prescribed forms, as of oaths, declarations, prayers and the like; a book of precedents.

2. Prescribed form.

FORM'ULARY, adjective Stated; prescribed; ritual.