as in imitative
using or marked by the use of something else as a basis or model
she thought the plots of most action movies were pretty formulaic
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Recent Examples of formulaic
The movies had developed a bit of a formulaic structure where there was a premonition, the premonition was avoided, and then death came after the characters one by one.
—
William Earl, Variety, 16 May 2025
Because of the surplus of algorithmic, formulaic AI language, students who learn to write elegantly, experiment with form and language, and subvert expectations in their prose will stand out in the competitive admissions landscape.
—Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
She’s gotten no explanation beyond that one, formulaic March 10 email dispatched to the university.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025
The Trump administration’s formulaic tariff plan aims to level the playing field, offering a carrot for others to lower their barriers, with our response in kind.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for formulaic
William Earl, Variety, 16 May 2025
Because of the surplus of algorithmic, formulaic AI language, students who learn to write elegantly, experiment with form and language, and subvert expectations in their prose will stand out in the competitive admissions landscape.
—Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
She’s gotten no explanation beyond that one, formulaic March 10 email dispatched to the university.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025
The Trump administration’s formulaic tariff plan aims to level the playing field, offering a carrot for others to lower their barriers, with our response in kind.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for formulaic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formulaic
Adjective
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The word was likely imitative of the deep humming sound male bees make.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
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The results suggested that felines may have imitative skills and the ability to recognize behavioral similarities.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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So far, what AI produces in the way of literature is purely derivative and thus noticeably unoriginal.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
28 May 2025
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The Bond films became nihilistic, and the post-Snyder DC films are notable only for being poor, unoriginal corporate gestures — counterfeit versions of Snyder’s resonant mythologizing.—
Armond White,
National Review,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Formulaic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formulaic. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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