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

• apish
• canned
• emulative
• epigonic
• epigonous
• imitative
• mimetic
• mimic
• slavish
• unoriginal

Examples of formulaic in a Sentence

she thought the plots of most action movies were pretty formulaic

Recent Examples on the Web

Not formulaic—which, of course, is what publishing prefers because formulaic is advertising. —Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 8 May 2025

The results are fitfully amusing, sometimes touching and resolutely formulaic. —Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 1 May 2025

The nature of the two-weekend event leads us to the question: With such an emphasis on formulaic trends, can personal style prevail? —Cierra Black, Essence, 28 Apr. 2025

Functions can have dozens of variables raised to high powers, defying formulaic analysis; graphs of their solutions form high-dimensional landscapes that are impossible to explore from a bird’s-eye view. —Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine, 24 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for formulaic

• algebraic
• aramaic
• ptolemaic
• syngeneic
• allogeneic
• photovoltaic
• altaic
• archaic
• deltaic
• hebraic
• mosaic
• oleic