ETYM Old Eng. and French forme, from Latin forma; cf. Skr. dhariman. Related to Firm.
In Greek and medieval European philosophy, that which makes a thing what it is. For Plato, a Form was an immaterial, independent object, which could not be perceived by the senses and was known only by reason; thus, a horse was a thing participating in the Form of horseness. For Aristotle, forms existed only in combination with matter: a horse was a lump of matter having the form of a horse—that is, the essential properties (see essence) and powers of a horse. However, Aristotle, like the medieval philosophers after him, does not make it clear whether there is a different form for each individual, or only for each type or species.
In Platonic philosophy Form is generally capitalized and is synonymous with his use of idea.
In logic, the form of a proposition is the kind or species to which it belongs, such as the universal (“All x are y”) or the negative (“No x are y”). Logical form is contrasted with the content, or what the proposition individually is about.1. A perceptual structure or shape; SYN. shape, pattern.
2. A particular mode in which something is manifested.
3. The visual appearance of something or someone; SYN. shape, cast.
4. A mold for setting concrete.
5. An ability to perform well.
6. An arrangement of the elements in a composition or discourse.
7. A printed document with spaces in which to write.
8. The phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word; SYN. word form.
9. (Biology) A group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups; SYN. variant, strain, var. + prikaži više