formalism
noun
strict adherence to, or observance of, prescribed or traditional forms, as in music, poetry, and art.
formalistic
-
a word derived from
formalism.
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.
The argument advanced by the IRS is a formalistic one that results in an absurdity: Cryptocurrency wasn’t explicitly included in the list of items that meet the “readily valued property” exemption to the appraisal rules.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026
It’s foundational and it’s formalistic, but it’s not going anywhere.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 8, 2024
As a filmmaker, Hogg is a seemingly incongruous blend of free-flowing and formalistic.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 27, 2021
“So your first order of preference would be the kind of formalistic line that I was just describing,” she said.
From New York Times ● Nov. 2, 2020
If conditions which are local, temporal, and individual, are fixed as constant rules, and carried beyond their proper limits, are systematized as a valuable formalistic code, unavoidable error arises.
From Pedagogics as a System by Anna C. (Anna Callender) Brackett
