closing form

closing form (plural closing forms)

1. A standard formula to end a letter.

   Antonyms: opening form, (thereof the hypernym) salutation, greeting form, address form, form of address

   Hypernym: parting phrase

   • 1876, James Willis Westlake, How to Write Letters: A Manual of Correspondence, Showing the Correct Structure, Composition, Punctuation, Formalities, and Uses of the Various Kinds of Letters, Notes and Cards‎, Philadelphia: Sower, Potts & Co., published 1883, page 235:

     On the left-hand column of the first page, near the top, the petitioner writes the salutation (“Most Holy Father,” e.g.), then,—leaving the customary space,—his petition; and at the bottom, without his signature, a formula corresponding to our closing form, “And your petitioner, as in duty bound, will ever pray," etc.

2. (transferred) A standard formula to end a speech.
   • a. 2005, William N. Fenton, Iroquois Journey. An Anthropologist Remembers, University of Nebraska Press, published 2007, →ISBN, page 68:

     Howard advised that I make a formal presentation to the chiefs at their next meeting and that I address them in the Onondaga language. He would tell me what to say, and I would write it phonetically. Using the correct forms would help. This we did. I memorized the opening greeting and the closing forms, which I still recall, and I read the rest.

3. (US) A form in an authority filled to formally document the closing a case.
   • 1975, Oversight of Civil Aeronautics Board Practices and Procedures: Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Administrative Practice and Procedure of the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, Ninety-fourth Congress, First Session, volume 3, U.S. Government Printing Office, page 2347:

     Mr. Knudson. Well, as I pointed out to Mr. Bakes when we were speaking, they are in consecutive order, Senator. I could have very easily gotten all of the numbers in consecutive order and initiated one of these forms, closing forms, to begin the process through to close the case.

4. (US) A form used to document an important legal transaction.

   Holonym: closing document

   • 2003, K. F. Boackle, Real Estate Closing Deskbook. A Lawyer's Reference Guide & State-by-state Summary, 2nd edition, American Bar Association, →ISBN, page 323:

     They boast over 1700 merge variables for use in word processing in order to fully customize all necessary closing forms including deeds, affidavits, payoff letters etc.

5. (programming) A method to end an implemented functionality.