How is the word 'formal' distinct from other similar adjectives?
Some common synonyms of formal are ceremonial, ceremonious, and conventional. While all these words mean "marked by attention to or adhering strictly to prescribed forms," formal applies both to things prescribed by and to persons obedient to custom and may suggest stiff, restrained, or old-fashioned behavior.
// a formal report
// the headmaster's formal manner
How do 'ceremonial' and 'ceremonious' relate to one another, in the sense of 'formal'?
Ceremonial and ceremonious both imply strict attention to what is prescribed by custom or by ritual, but ceremonial applies to things that are associated with ceremonies.
// a ceremonial offering
When is 'ceremonious' a more appropriate choice than 'formal'?
While in some cases nearly identical to formal, ceremonious applies to persons given to ceremony or to acts attended by ceremony.
// made his ceremonious entrance
I'm unable to find anything online. Someone just said it and I thought it sounded strange (even though I've heard it a billion times in my life).
It's like it's treating "Other words" as a compound noun. I'm not a grammarian so I'm just guessing. But "other words would be..." makes sense to me, and "in alternate words" makes sense to me, but you wouldn't use other adjectives like "in further words".
Instead of saying "another approach is," you wouldn't say "in other approaches"
Hard to explain, but it just seems like a strange phrase.