In typography, any combination of point size, line spacing (leading), line length, typeface, placement, and style that contributes to producing a specific typographic appearance. This may relate to a character, word, line, paragraph, section, page, group of pages, or an entire publication.
In computerized typesetting, a format can be stored as a series of codes (which can be used repetitively). When those previously stored codes are to be used, the format is "called" or invoked by its given name or number.
In computers, the term format refers to the exact arrangement and orientation with which file data or computer command codes are stored.
The term format, when used as a verb, also means to create a specific typographic appearance for typeset copy by specifying the typeface, point size, spacing, etc.
When used as a verb, format also means to set up a floppy disk (or other type of computer storage media) to receive data in the form used for a particular system or device. For example, a floppy disk used to store Macintosh files needs to be formatted for a Macintosh computer.