formulaic

adjective

for·​mu·​la·​ic ˌfȯr-myə-ˈlā-ik 

1

: produced according to a formula or set of formulas : adhering to set forms or conventions

a formulaic response

a movie with a formulaic plot

… much of the will's language was formulaic, in accordance with Venetian customs.

—Laurence Bergreen

The film … uses simple, formulaic storytelling to spin the tale of Bella, a rescued pit bull who makes her way home after a two-year walkabout.

—Katie Walsh

2

: of or relating to a mathematical formula

Those projections prompted the department to evaluate the state tax withholding tables. In September, the department found the formulaic error that had apparently been there, undetected, for at least 15 years.

—Kathryn Palmer

formulaically

ˌfȯr-myə-ˈlā-ə-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

… his songs still stick formulaically to the surface of pop entertainments.

—David Sargent

The price of admission to local social functions is often expressed formulaically as 'Gentlemen $2, ladies a plate', meaning a plate of scones or the like.

—Robert Burchfield

Synonyms of formulaic

• imitative
• unoriginal
• imitation

Examples of formulaic in a Sentence

she thought the plots of most action movies were pretty formulaic

Recent Examples on the Web

From the fragmented breakup anthems to the formulaic moodboard fodder, nothing on Steve Lacy’s new album seems to come naturally. — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 22 July 2026

With Disney serving as popular culture’s foremost purveyor of such retreads, the formula for what makes a live-action remake hit or miss with audiences could hardly seem less formulaic. — Chris Lee, Vulture, 14 July 2026

Under his guardianship, the race has become a constant traveller, with a dozen foreign grand départs, and less formulaic, finding new finishes in the Vosges, Jura and Massif Central, throwing in more cobblestones and punchy late climbs. — Andy McGrath, New York Times, 11 July 2026

Plath famously spent years trying and failing to master formulaic, commercial short fiction for magazines like Ladies’ Home Journal and The Saturday Evening Post. — Literary Hub, 1 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for formulaic

• altaic
• archaic
• deltaic
• hebraic
• mosaic
• oleic
• prosaic
• trochaic
• voltaic
• algebraic
• aramaic
• ptolemaic