pro forma

[ proh fawr-muh ]
/ proʊ ˈfɔr mə /

adjective

according to form; as a matter of form; for the sake of form.
Commerce. provided in advance of shipment and merely showing the description and quantity of goods shipped without terms of payment: a pro forma invoice.
Accounting. indicating hypothetical financial figures based on previous business operations for estimate purposes: a pro forma balance sheet.

adverb

as a matter of form: Many of the school assignments appear to be done pro forma.

noun plural pro for·ma, pro for·mas.

a pro forma document.
Also pro·for·ma (for defs 2, 3, 5).

Origin of pro forma

First recorded in 1565–75, pro forma is from the Latin word prō fōrma

Example sentences from the Web for pro forma

British Dictionary definitions for pro forma

pro forma
/ (ˈprəʊ ˈfɔːmə) /

adjective

prescribing a set form or procedure

adverb

performed in a set manner

Word Origin for pro forma

Latin: for form's sake

Cultural definitions for pro forma

pro forma
[ (proh fawr-muh) ]

Doing something pro forma means satisfying only the minimum requirements of a task and doing it in a perfunctory way: “Her welcoming address was strictly pro forma: you could tell that her mind was a million miles away.” From Latin, meaning “by form.”