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

Designed with formulaic, surgical clarity, its rules have few exceptions. —Katie Thornton, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026

This entry feels merely formulaic, with little on the line except the outcome of a stray assignment for one bounty hunter. —The Week Us, TheWeek, 25 May 2026

It was also being lectured by people who presented a formulaic perspective on a complicated future that the class of 2026 is already navigating. —Ann Kirschner, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026

While these celebrity docs are hagiographic and formulaic, the interviews with Nadal and family and rivals like Federer and Novak Djokovic do push beyond the surface. —Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 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