formalism

noun

for·​mal·​ism ˈfȯr-mə-ˌli-zəm 

1

: the practice or the doctrine of strict adherence to prescribed or external forms (as in religion or art)

also : an instance of this

2

: marked attention to arrangement, style, or artistic means (as in art or literature) usually with corresponding de-emphasis of content

formalist

ˈfȯr-mə-list 

noun or adjective

formalistic

ˌfȯr-mə-ˈli-stik 

adjective

Examples of formalism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While hardened reductionists have argued that there can be no free will because all causation ultimately arises from interactions of atoms and molecules, free will may be rescued by the formalism of higher-level causation. —Philip Ball, WIRED, 21 July 2024

The bursts of formalism, the melodramatic score, the ways in which the model-protagonist’s own profession becomes a stylistic barometer for her mental state — these are all evocative of that classic, colorful subgenre of horror. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2024

Using a mathematical formalism called computational mechanics, the researchers identified criteria for determining which systems have this kind of hierarchical structure. —Philip Ball, WIRED, 21 July 2024

Reflexivity, far from representing a kind of abstract formalism, as is often supposed, constitutes a confrontational act of radical openness. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

formalism

noun

for·​mal·​ism ˈfȯr-mə-ˌliz-əm 

: the strict observance of forms or customs

formalist

-ləst 

noun

formalistic

ˌfȯr-mə-ˈlis-tik 

adjective

formalistically

-ti-k(ə-)lē

adverb