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

The unsettling landscape of dream logic doesn’t lend itself to many formats, least of all the rigidly formulaic, comfortingly predictable whodunit. —Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 26 July 2024

But despite its formulaic tendencies, High Potential works on the strength of Olson’s joyful performance. —Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 13 Sep. 2024

A lot of time, the industry pushes you into being more formulaic and try to diminish your voice. —Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2024

Experimenting with role play is another way to break out of formulaic dirty talk and inspire more creativity. —Hanna Lustig, Glamour, 12 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 2