formalise

Formalise is a verb used mainly in British English to mean give a project, process, agreement, or procedure a formal structure, status, or set of rules. It can also mean to express something in formal or systematic terms, or to convert informal practices into formal ones. The corresponding American English spelling is formalize. The noun forms are formalisation or formalization.

Etymology: the word derives from formal + the -ise or -ize suffixes used in English, with formalisation (British) and formalization (American) reflecting regional spelling conventions.

Usage: In governance and law, to formalise a contract or agreement means to draft and sign a document that creates enforceable obligations; to formalise a process means to establish official procedures, roles, and approvals. In business, one may formalise a workflow or governance structure. In science and mathematics, to formalise a theory is to provide precise definitions, axioms, and rules; to formalize a language or protocol means to specify syntax and semantics in a rigorous way. In linguistics or knowledge representation, formalisation translates informal concepts into formal models.

Examples: The committee decided to formalise the appointment process by codifying interview steps. The theory was formalised using first-order logic. The policy was formalised after consultations.

Notes: While related terms include codify and standardize, formalisation emphasizes turning something informal into a recognized, official form, often with written rules or formal criteria. The spelling difference reflects regional conventions, not different meanings.