formula
[ fawr-myuh-luh ]
/ ˈfɔr myə lə /
Save This Word!
noun, plural for·mu·las, for·mu·lae [fawr-myuh-lee]. /ˈfɔr myəˌli/.
QUIZ
QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!
In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”
Question 1 of 7
The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.
Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use formula in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for formula
formula
/ (ˈfɔːmjʊlə) /
noun plural -las or -lae (-ˌliː)
an established form or set of words, as used in religious ceremonies, legal proceedings, etc
maths physics a general relationship, principle, or rule stated, often as an equation, in the form of symbols
chem a representation of molecules, radicals, ions, etc, expressed in the symbols of the atoms of their constituent elementsSee molecular formula, empirical formula, structural formula
- a method, pattern, or rule for doing or producing something, often one proved to be successful
- (as modifier)formula fiction
- a prescription for making up a medicine, baby's food, etc
- a substance prepared according to such a prescription
motor racing the specific category in which a particular type of car competes, judged according to engine size, weight, and fuel capacity
Derived forms of formula
formulaic (ˌfɔːmjʊˈleɪɪk), adjectiveWord Origin for formula
C17: from Latin: diminutive of forma form
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medical definitions for formula
formula
[ fôr′myə-lə ]
n. pl. for•mu•las
A symbolic representation of the chemical composition or of the chemical composition and structure of a compound.
The chemical 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.
A mathematical statement, especially an equation, of a fact, rule, principle, or other logical relation.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for formula
formula
[ fôr′myə-lə ]
Plural formulas formulae (fôr′myə-lē′)
A set of symbols showing the composition of a chemical compound. A formula lists the elements contained within it and indicates the number of atoms of each element with a subscript numeral if the number is more than 1. For example, H2O is the formula for water, where H2 indicates two atoms of hydrogen and O indicates one atom of oxygen.
A set of symbols expressing a mathematical rule or principle. For example, the formula for the area of a rectangle is a = lw, where a is the area, l the length, and w the width.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.