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

Indeed, the main trouble here is that the material is formulaic without being particularly funny or touching within those confines, its stabs at quirkiness seldom developed in a way this capable cast can take flight with. —Dennis Harvey, Variety, 23 Oct. 2024

This formulaic approach fails to recognize the individuality of each person. —Ludmila Praslova, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024

First, critics contend that AI diminishes the creative process by replacing human imagination—which is inherently unpredictable and contextually rich—with a formulaic approach. —Charlie Engman, ARTnews.com, 20 Sep. 2024

Michael Weber, Slow Burn Entrepreneur Like leadership, entrepreneurship isn’t a formulaic activity. —Serenity Gibbons, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 2