Plural of formal; clothing or attire that is dressy and follows formal conventions, or formal events and occasions.
Plural form of 'formal,' which comes from Latin 'formalis.' In English, 'formal' as a noun (meaning formal clothes or events) emerged in the 1800s, making 'formals' the natural plural.
When you hear 'wear formals to the dance,' people mean fancy dress like tuxedos and gowns—the kind of clothes you'd wear to impress at special occasions.
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