v. [f. FORMAL a. + -IZE. Cf. F. formaliser.]
† 1. trans. To give formal being to; to impart or constitute the form, essence, or characteristic attribute of; to ‘inform,’ as the soul the body.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lvi. § 11. In as much as the same Spirit, which anointed the blessed soule of our Sauior Christ, doth so formalize, vnite, and actuate his whole race.
1627. Hakewill, Apol., I. iv. § 1. 39. This Spirit the Platonists call the Soule of the World, by it, it is in some sort quickned and formaliz’d, as the body of man is by its reasonable Soule.
1678. Gale, Crt. Gentiles, IV. III. 68. The malice and vitiositie which formalised the action as theirs, is no way imputable to Gods act.
† 2. To adorn, give a specious appearance to.
1597. Daniel, Civ. Wars, II. lviii.
| (Or whether but to formalize his deed) | |
| He kneeles him downe with some astonishing. |
1604. Edmondes, Observ. Cæsar’s Comm., 4. I graunt that it is not altogether wealth that doth grace and formalize the actions of men: for in some cases penurie and want makes men more valorous.
3. To give formal or definite shape to.
1646. Bp. Maxwell, Burden of Issachar, in Phenix (1708), II. 298. They establish’d and formaliz’d the Judicatory, by constituting a Moderator, a Clerk, and other essential Members of the Court.
1647. Answ. to Lett. to Dr. Turner, 19. The Apostles … did in their latter dayes formalize and bound out that power which still we do call Episcopacy.
1844. Ld. Houghton, Palm Leaves, 89.
| For you can fix and formalize | |
| The Power on which you raise your eyes, | |
| And trace him in his palace-skies. |
1877. Mrs. Oliphant, Makers Flor., ii. 50. The gates of Florence, when they were shut against him, did no more than formalize that sentence of banishment which had already been pronounced in his own breast.
† 4. To cause to take sides definitely; refl. to range oneself, or pronounce, for or against. [So formerly Fr. se formaliser.] Obs.
1599. E. Sandys, Europæ Speculum (1632), 206. Whereby both parts are formalized and setled in theyr oppositions.
1656. Finett, For. Ambass., 219. For his Majesty to establish an order, and after to break it … could not but be to him of so hard a digistion … yet he must (if offered) … formalize himself against it.
5. To render formal: a. To give legal formality to (a document). b. To render ceremonious, precise, or rigid. c. To imbue with formalism.
1855. Fraser’s Mag., LI. June, 628/1. Its seal, bearing on a shield, argent, a chevron, between three lozenges, sable, frequently formalizes legal documents of the Orkneys.
1856. Ruskin, Mod. Paint., III. IV. xiii. § 28. It sought eminently for orderliness; carried the principle of the leeks in squares, and fountains in pipes, perfectly out in its streets and temples; formalized whatever decoration it put into its minor architectural mouldings.
1866. J. H. Newman, Let. Pusey, 85. When it is formalized into meditations or exercises, it is as repulsive as love-letters in a police report.
1870. Goulburn, Cathedr. Syst., iii. 42. Having a tendency to familiarize them with holy things, and to lower their standard of reverence, or, at best to formalize them.
6. intr. To act with formality; to be formal or ceremonious; to show the spirit of a formalist.
a. 1656. Hales, Sermon of Duels, Rem. (1688), 84. Many times indeed our Gallants can Formalize in other words, but evermore the Substance, and usually the very words are no other but these of Cain, Let us go out into the Field.
1697. [see FORMALIZING vbl. sb.]
1721. Bailey, Formalize, to play the Formalist.
1830. [see FORMALIZING ppl. a.].
† 7. a. trans. To cavil at, raise scrupulous objections to. b. intr. To cavil, raise scruples; to take umbrage; also, to affect scruples. To formalize upon: to scruple at, demur to, haggle over.
[Cf. F. se formaliser, to take umbrage.]
a. 1599. E. Sandys, Europæ Speculum (1632), 95. This age hath brought out those curst and thrice accursed witts, who by culling out the errours and shewes of errours, by formalizing the contrarieties; mis-interpreting the ambiguitie, intangling more the obscurities, which in the most renowmed authors for humane wisdome that were ever in the world theyr envious and maliciously fine braines could search.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 1195. His resolution was, to take part with the Christian emperour, if the great Bassaes, or others his enemies, in great place in Court, should seeke to crosse his desires, or to formalize his actions or proceedings in this maner of the obtaining of his gouernment.
1668. R. L’Estrange, Vis. Quev., 289. That is to say, whether in reason of State, it ought to be done; and we are formalizing the matter, whether in point of equity and justice it may be done.
b. 1597. Lowe, Chirurg. (1634), 57. But, because such as delight in this pastime, will formalize; as also, because the vsage hereof is sometime profitable to the Chyrurgion; I will not altogether condemne it.
1641. T. Webb, in The Nicholas Papers (Camden) I. 41. I left out of my letter yesterday this copie of ye kings answer to ye parlement here about ye officers, and it is now to noe purpose. Ye house haveing formalized uppon it, ye king hath recalled it. Ibid. (1655), II. 216. Some of the townes suspecting the intention began to formalise.
a. 1674. Clarendon, Life (1761), I. III. 148. There were many particulars in it, which the Officers on the King’s Side, (who had no Mind to a Cessation) formalized much upon.
1692. R. L’Estrange, Josephus’ Antiq., XVII. xi. (1733), 471. It seems a strange thing to me, says Antipater, that Archelaus should be now formalizing about his Title to a Kingdom after so absolute an Exercise of sovereign Power over it already.
a. 1734. North, Lives, II. 301. He went not only willingly, but ambitiously, and formalized upon nothing that led towards the end he most earnestly desired, which was to be settled as a factor in Turkey.
a. 1797. H. Walpole, Mem. Geo. II. (1847), I. xii. 418. When he saw that to promote division was their only drift, he sought heartily and sincerely to league with Fox, and told him that they had formalized at his professions.
Hence Formalized ppl. a.; Formalizing vbl. sb., and ppl. a. Also Formalizer, one who formalizes.
a. 1656. Hales, St. Peter’s Fall, Rem. (1688), 142. They turned their poor Cottages into stately Palaces, their true Fasting into Formalizing and partial abstinence.
1697. Collier, Immor. Stage, iv. § 3. Vanity and Formalizing is Lord Foplington’s Part, To let him speak without Aukwardness, and Affectation, is to put him out of his Element.
a. 1734. North, Lives, II. 65. Wheels within Wheels took Place; the Ministers turned Formalisers, and the Xourt mysterious. Ibid., Exam., III. viii. § 26. This extremely took with the King, and soon set him at ease; for he found no formalising Scruples on the Lord Keeper’s Part.
1830. G. Croly, George IV., xiv. 364. The spirit of the juntas was timid, frivolous, and formalising.
1849. Ruskin, Sev. Lamps, vi. § 3. 165. Those gloomy rows of formalised minuteness, alike without difference and without fellowship, as solitary as similar.
1875. Whitney, Life Lang., v. 90. We may call it an attenuation, a fading-out, a complete formalizing, of what was before solid, positive, substantial.
