as in imitative
using or marked by the use of something else as a basis or model
she thought the plots of most action movies were pretty formulaic
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Recent Examples of formulaic
That melodic emphasis is a powerful remedy for Evaporator’s limited and occasionally even formulaic sound.
—
Ben Cardew, Pitchfork, 23 Feb. 2026
Perhaps the worst thing that Hollywood’s long-standing formulaic approach has done is to convince even sophisticated critics that movies can’t rival literature as exalted artistic achievements.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
Along the way, there were genre pitstops, where Duvall could always be relied upon to turn formulaic roles into far more than the sum of their threadbare parts (1973’s The Outfit, 1975’s The Killer Elite).
—Chris Nashawaty, Vanity Fair, 16 Feb. 2026
That combination could give the rom-com a feel that stands apart from more formulaic entries in the genre.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for formulaic
Ben Cardew, Pitchfork, 23 Feb. 2026
Perhaps the worst thing that Hollywood’s long-standing formulaic approach has done is to convince even sophisticated critics that movies can’t rival literature as exalted artistic achievements.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
Along the way, there were genre pitstops, where Duvall could always be relied upon to turn formulaic roles into far more than the sum of their threadbare parts (1973’s The Outfit, 1975’s The Killer Elite).
—Chris Nashawaty, Vanity Fair, 16 Feb. 2026
That combination could give the rom-com a feel that stands apart from more formulaic entries in the genre.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for formulaic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formulaic
Adjective
-
Since then, whenever new tools to crank out communications have become available, somebody has flooded the zone with the fastest, most imitative material that could garner attention.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
8 Nov. 2025
-
It may be borrowed or coined, named after a person, inspired by a place or imitative of a sound.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This makes your home feel intentional and personal instead of sterile and unoriginal.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
8 Jan. 2026
-
This seems a rather unoriginal name to be chosen by a woman whose talent lay with words.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Formulaic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formulaic. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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