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Definitions

formulaic

[fawr-myuh-ley-ik] / ˌfɔr myəˈleɪ ɪk /
ADJECTIVE
ordinary
Synonyms
STRONGEST
conventional
WEAK
average common commonplace customary cut-and-dried everyday garden-variety imitative mechanical normal plain routine run-of-the-mill standard stock undistinguished unexceptional unoriginal unremarkable usual

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A significant subset of them are formulaic in style—expository, structured, smooth, coherent and impersonal, traits that overlap with AI-generated prose.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Fruit is an absurd but also simple way to reflect the formulaic, sensationalist and stereotypical world of dating reality TV, Lupinacci said.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

“Kim’s Convenience” has an eager-to-please TV sensibility that can seem formulaic at times.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

“The Housemaid” is far from the formulaic thriller its trailers and general synopsis suggest.

From Salon • Jan. 31, 2026

A sly twist on the formulaic reporting and ponderous tone of conventional obituaries.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.