Definition of "formalize" []

• To give a definite form or shape to. (verb-transitive)
• To make formal. (verb-transitive)
• To give formal standing or endorsement to; make official or legitimate by the observance of proper procedure. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The ability to test theories empirically has been one of the primary arguments in favour of the increasing use of math in economics and the need for methods that, in the minds of their users, "formalize" economic theories and their implications."
• "Expand, deepen and further "formalize" the official channel of U.S. cooperation with the ICC, so that the court can get further involved in global conflicts such as those in Darfur, the Congo, Uganda and other areas."
• "So can we finally get that report to where we look at a structure and kind of formalize that? ""