Form Means Shape, a Document and a Long Bench
A form is the shape of something. School English gave the word two more senses entirely its own.
A form is the shape or structure of something, a printed document to be filled in, and in British schools a year group. The school sense comes from the long bench pupils sat on: a *form* was the seat, then the class that shared it, and *sixth form* still names the last two years of British secondary education. A form teacher is the one responsible for that group. The document sense comes from a set pattern of words, a prescribed shape for information.
- Shape. *The form of a building.*
- A document. *Fill in the form.*
- A school year. *The sixth form.*
- Condition. *On good form.*
- Latin — *forma*, a shape. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | form | A form. |
| Plural | forms | Forms. |
| Verb | form | Forming. |
| Adjective | formal | Formal. |
| Latin | forma | A shape. |
- The vase has an elegant form.Shape.
- Complete the form in ink.Document.
- She is in the sixth form.School.
The forma family
- Formal — according to set shape
- Format — the shape a thing is presented in
- Reform — to shape again
- Uniform — of one shape throughout
- Deform — to spoil the shape
Latin *forma*, a shape or mould, of uncertain further origin.
Why is a school year called a form?
From the long bench pupils sat on. The seat named the class that shared it, which is why British schools still have a sixth form.
Why is a document called a form?
Because it follows a prescribed pattern of words, a set shape for the information it collects.