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

• apish
• canned
• emulative
• epigonic
• epigonous
• imitative
• mimetic
• mimic
• slavish
• unoriginal

Examples of formulaic in a Sentence

she thought the plots of most action movies were pretty formulaic

Recent Examples on the Web

By now, their break-ups to make-ups have become formulaic and boring — more than 780 episodes will do that to ya — but during the early seasons of The Simpsons, Homer and Marge's relationship was one of the most complex on television. —James Mercadante, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2025

Statham reunites with director David Ayer after their last hit together, The Beekeeper, for this formulaic but effective actioner that might well have starred Sylvester Stallone decades ago (sorry, Sly, but the years are marching on). —Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2025

Without Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, the Russos’ work has become formulaic and ephemeral. —Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 19 Mar. 2025

As a result, possessing the ability to be less formulaic and more agile and fluid in delivering CX has never been more important for organizations regardless of size or industry focus. —Billee Howard, Forbes, 12 Jan. 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