An interpretation is a formal effort to explain what a theory means, to articulate a model.

The following year, in 2001, the firm began a formal effort to make mezzanine investments.

Does the editorial staff at your newspaper make a formal effort to achieve this mix?

While personal contacts have sometimes soured, formal tie-building efforts continue, with mixed results.

"A difficult situation," he said with a formal effort at condolence.

Discussion of a third track has been going on for at least 25 years, and formal efforts began in May 2005.

The United States made no formal efforts to survey the land.

Guatemala has opened peace talks with rebel leaders in the first formal effort to end that country's 26-year-old guerrilla struggle.

In 1991, the city made the effort more formal by naming 12 people to a citizen's advisory board.

But these overtures - and less formal efforts made through Washington-based research groups - produced little at the time, officials said.