Formatuoti

Formatuoti is a Lithuanian verb meaning to apply a defined format or to arrange something according to a prescribed structure. The term is used across contexts such as text processing, document layout, and data preparation. In everyday usage, it often refers to adjusting the appearance of text or the arrangement of content to meet a particular style or guideline.

On the computing front, formatuoti most commonly denotes formatting a storage device or wiping and initializing it with a filesystem (formatuoti diską). It can also mean formatting data for interoperability, such as aligning fields, preserving consistency of dates and numbers, or converting data to a standard representation before transmission or storage. Additionally, formatavimas can describe formatting text—setting font, size, alignment, margins, and other stylistic attributes in a document or editor.

Etymology: The verb is formed from formatas (format) with the common Lithuanian verb suffix -uoti, reflecting a pattern for creating verbs from nouns. This mirrors similar words in Lithuanian IT terminology, which borrows and adapts international terms.

Usage notes: formatuoti is neutral and widely understood in technical and general language. In professional contexts, consistent formatting improves readability and data integrity, while the term also exists in related forms, such as formatavimas (the act of formatting) and formatavęs (formatted).