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

• 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 first act is formulaic and its plot direction and obvious romantic couplings are forecast from the start. —Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025

While there is some variation, usually dependent on the designer, overall the look can feel a bit formulaic. —Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025

All this suggests that A.I. culture could submerge human originality in a sea of unmotivated, formulaic art. —Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025

As injuries mounted up, the more formulaic Arsenal became, and the yearning for someone more expressive grew. —Art De Roché, New York Times, 21 Aug. 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