- [countable, usually plural]
a thing that you must do as a formal or official part of a legal process, a social situation, etc. 正式手续 to go through all the formalities necessary in order to get a gun licence 办理取得持枪执照的全部必要手续 Let's skip the formalities and get down to business. 咱们省去繁文缛节，开始讨论实质问题吧。 It only took a few minutes to complete the legal formalities. 完成法律手续只花了几分钟。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- mere
- customs
- legal
- …
- complete
- deal with
- go through
- …
- just a formality
- merely a formality
- only a formality
- …
- [countable, usually singular]
a thing that you must do as part of an official process, but that has little meaning and will not affect what happens 例行公事 He already knows he has the job so the interview is a mere formality. 他已知道得到了这个工作，所以面试仅仅是走走过场。 Your acceptance into the club will be a mere formality. 只需要办一个简单的手续你就可以加入俱乐部。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- mere
- customs
- legal
- …
- complete
- deal with
- go through
- …
- just a formality
- merely a formality
- only a formality
- …
- [uncountable]
correct and formal behaviour 遵守礼节 Different levels of formality are appropriate in different situations. 不同规格的礼节适用于不同场合。 She greeted him with stiff formality. 她拘谨地按礼节向他致意。
Extra ExamplesShe preferred to maintain a cool formality in her dealings with her manager. 她选择与经理保持一种公事公办的关系。 She couldn't help smiling at the formality of his words. 她对他的拘谨话语忍不住笑了。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- stiff
- degree
- level
- maintain
Word Originmid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘accordance with legal rules or conventions’): from French formalité or medieval Latin formalitas, from formalis, from forma ‘shape, mould’.