formalise

formalise — verb

1. to give an agreement, arrangement, or relationship an official and legally bindi

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to give an agreement, arrangement, or relationship an official and legally binding status, usually by putting it into writing or following an accepted procedure.

例句

Mei-Lin and Diego formalised their business partnership by signing a contract at the lawyer's office.

active voice: formalise + direct object (partnership)

The university sent Professor Adebayo a contract to formalise his role as a guest lecturer.

infinitive purpose: 'to formalise [role]'

同義詞
  • ratify

    stronger focus on giving final approval through a vote or authoritative sign-off, while formalise emphasizes creating an official structure.

  • validate

    emphasises confirming that something meets a required standard, rather than making it official for the first time.

  • standardise

    narrower in scope — means to make things follow uniform rules, which may be one step in formalising a process.

反義詞
  • cancel

    to stop a plan or agreement before it becomes official or while it is still informal.

  • dissolve

    to end a formal relationship or agreement that had previously been formalised.

文法句型

formalise + noun phrase

用法筆記

Frequently used in business, legal, and administrative contexts. Often appears in the passive voice (e.g., the agreement was formalised). The subject is typically a person, an organisation, or an institution.

常見錯誤

❌We need to formal the agreement before next week.
✅We need to formalise the agreement before next week.
💡'Formal' is an adjective; the verb requires the -ise suffix.
❌The contract was formalized at the meeting.' (in British English writing)
✅The contract was formalised at the meeting.
💡In British English, the preferred spelling uses -ise; -ize is the American English variant.