n., pl., -las, or -lae (-lē').
- An established form of words or symbols for use in a ceremony or procedure.
- An utterance of conventional notions or beliefs; a hackneyed expression.
- A method of doing or treating something that relies on an established, uncontroversial model or approach: a new situation comedy that simply uses an old formula.
- Chemistry.
- A symbolic representation of the composition or of the composition and structure of a compound.
- The compound so represented.
- A prescription of ingredients in fixed proportion; a recipe.
- A liquid food for infants, containing most of the nutrients in human milk.
- Mathematics. A statement, especially an equation, of a fact, rule, principle, or other logical relation.
- Formula Sports. A set of specifications, including engine displacement, fuel capacity, and weight, that determine a class of racing car.
[Latin fōrmula, diminutive of fōrma, form.]
formulaic for'mu·la'ic (-lā'ĭk) adj.formulaically for'mu·la'i·cal·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
