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
Laurence BergreenThe 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
Katie Walsh2
: 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
Kathryn Palmer
formulaically
adverb
… his songs still stick formulaically to the surface of pop entertainments.
—David Sargent
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
Robert Burchfield
Examples of formulaic in a Sentence
she thought the plots of most action movies were pretty formulaic
Recent Examples on the Web
It's often noted that generative AI writing style can come across as very bland and formulaic.
—Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Nevertheless, the actress recognized that Twin Peaks was a far cry from the formulaic television of the past.
—EW.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Sure, there’s a reasonable and informed argument to be made that its big-budget excess, rampant commercialism, and formulaic checkbox-checking exemplify everything wrong with the AAA gaming industry right now.
—ArsTechnica, 18 Apr. 2025
Throughout this stretch, the Red Sox have almost become formulaic.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for formulaic
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Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Nevertheless, the actress recognized that Twin Peaks was a far cry from the formulaic television of the past.
—EW.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Sure, there’s a reasonable and informed argument to be made that its big-budget excess, rampant commercialism, and formulaic checkbox-checking exemplify everything wrong with the AAA gaming industry right now.
—ArsTechnica, 18 Apr. 2025
Throughout this stretch, the Red Sox have almost become formulaic.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for formulaic
Cite this Entry
“Formulaic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/formulaic. Accessed 8 May. 2025.
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