Formamide is an amide derived from formic acid. It is a colorless liquid which is miscible with water and has an ammonia-like odor. It is chemical feedstock for the manufacture of sulfa drugs and other pharmaceuticals, herbicides and pesticides, and in the manufacture of hydrocyanic acid. It has been used as a softener for paper and fiber. It is a solvent for many ionic compounds. It has also been used as a solvent for resins and plasticizers. Some astrobiologists suggest that it may be an alternative to water as the main solvent in other forms of life.

Formamides are compounds of the type RR′NCHO. One important formamide is dimethylformamide, (CH₃)₂NCHO.

In the past, formamide was produced by treating formic acid with ammonia, which produces ammonium formate, which in turn yields formamide upon heating:

Formamide is also generated by aminolysis of ethyl formate:

The current industrial process for the manufacture of formamide involves the carbonylation of ammonia:

An alternative two-stage process involves the ammonolysis of methyl formate, which is formed from carbon monoxide and methanol:

Formamide is used in the industrial production of hydrogen cyanide. It is also used as a solvent for processing various polymers such as polyacrylonitrile.

It is also known that formamide is an excellent swelling agent for cellulosic fibres, and is used in some specific wood-related applications.