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 best Korean hair masks are a category not to be missed, bringing forth the same level of formulaic and texture innovation that K-beauty is known (and well-loved) for. —Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 21 Apr. 2026

What unites all these approaches is willingness to move beyond formulaic pairings into experiences that are both intuitive and adventurous. —Anna Lee Iijima, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026

Jimmie Fowlie and Ceara O’Sullivan’s script relies on formulaic coming-of-age beats before drifting unexpectedly into absurdism in the third act. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 17 Apr. 2026

But the increasingly formulaic press tour can be gruelingly repetitive. —Alex Ritman, Variety, 15 Apr. 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