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format

noun

  1. arrangement of data or visual presentation
  2. concept in a metadata schema
L13334 on Wikidata ↗

verb

  1. arrange elements for visual presentation
L13335 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈfɔː(ɹ).mæt/ / /ˈfɔːɹ.mæt/

noun

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

  1. The layout of a publication or document.

    The older manuscripts had been written in a much larger format than that found convenient for university work.

  2. The form of presentation of something.
  3. The type of programming that a radio station broadcasts; such as a certain genre of music, news, sports, talk, etc.

    The radio station changed the format of its evening program.

  4. A file type.

verb

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

  1. To create or edit the layout of a document.
  2. Change a document so it will fit onto a different type of page.
  3. To prepare a mass storage medium for initial use, erasing any existing data in the process.

    I lost weeks of work when I inadvertently formatted my hard drive.