Synonyms of formulaic

formulaic

adjective

ˌfȯr-myə-ˈlā-ik 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• imitative
• unoriginal
• imitation
• emulative
• mimetic
• mock
• misleading
• slavish
• deceptive
• copied
• canned
• false
• mimic
• apish
• fraudulent
• epigonic
• synthetic
• artificial
• perfunctory
• routine
• sham
• fake
• bogus
• simulated
• counterfeit
• uninspired
• cut-and-dried
• substitute
• factitious
• duplicated
• reproduced
• plagiarized
• photocopied
• cribbed
• reduplicated
• transcribed
• forged
• backup
• man-made

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• original
• true
• legitimate
• authentic
• real
• bona fide
• archetypal
• natural
• genuine
• classic
• ideal
• model

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of formulaic

The lo-fi nature of the videos, their formulaic content, and their inaccuracies don’t seem to have turned off viewers. — Max Tani, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2026

But this series from Vince Gilligan is a watch more challenging than The Pitt, which has an intentionally formulaic design. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 31 Aug. 2026

Slop is formulaic and impersonal, the aggregate of everything that is already imitating everything else. — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026

Episodes tended to be repetitive and formulaic and the level of detail devoted to knowledge varied widely. — ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026