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

The inherent challenge in making films dealing with progressive illness is not succumbing to an inescapably formulaic structure that can’t help but go with the territory. — Michael Rechtshaffen, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026

Even though the tides are slowly turning, many video games have formulaic plots that reinforce old-school gender and heteronormative roles, often featuring a hero saving a damsel in distress from a menacing villain. — Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 10 Sep. 2026

The beats are familiar, the story formulaic, but the filmmaking is kinetic and alive, worthy of the largest possible audience. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026

With the exception of The Ginger Man, all other titles were formulaic pornography by authors hiding behind pen names. — Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 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