Main Entry:

¹for·mu·la

Pronunciation:

\ˈfȯr-myə-lə\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural for·mu·las or for·mu·lae \-ˌlē, -ˌlī\

Etymology:

Latin, diminutive of forma form

Date:

1618

1 a: a set form of words for use in a ceremony or ritual b: a conventionalized statement intended to express some fundamental truth or principle especially as a basis for negotiation or action2 a (1): recipe (2): prescription b: a milk mixture or substitute for feeding an infant3 a: a general fact, rule, or principle expressed in usually mathematical symbols b: a symbolic expression of the chemical composition or constitution of a substance c: a group of symbols (as letters and numbers) associated to express facts or data (as the number and kinds of teeth in the jaw) concisely d: a combination of signs in a logical calculus4: a customary or set form or method allowing little room for originality

— for·mu·la·ic \ˌfȯr-myə-ˈlā-ik\ adjective

— for·mu·la·ical·ly \-ˈlā-ə-k(ə-)lē\ adverb