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form

n. countable
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈfɔɹm// UK //fˈɔːm// form Archaic General-service

n. a document with empty spaces where you write information like your name or address. You often fill one out when you apply for a job or join a club.

n. a document, whether physical or digital, with blank spaces for the insertion of required information. Often used in administrative or bureaucratic contexts to standardise data collection.


SIMPLE

Please fill out this form with your name and phone number.

CONTEXTUAL

The receptionist handed me a medical history form to complete before my appointment with the doctor.

COMPLEX

To ensure your application is processed without delay, please verify that every mandatory field on the registration form has been completed accurately before submission.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English forme (“shape, figure, manner, bench, frame, seat, condition, agreement, etc.”), borrowed from Old French forme, from Latin fōrma (“shape, figure, image, outline, plan, mold, frame, case, etc., manner, sort, kind, etc.”). In sense "division grouping school students" (now dated), derived from public school nomenclature later adopted by state schools. It is sometimes said to be from the sense of "bench", where students of certain ages would sit together, though this is disputed, or alternatively from the sense of "established method of expression or practice".

Usage

Commonly used with the phrasal verbs 'fill out' or 'fill in'.

Pitfall

I filled the formI filled out the formIn English, you 'fill out' or 'fill in' a form; 'fill' alone usually refers to putting a substance into a container.

Idioms4 entries

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