formalism
/ˈfɔɹml̩ˌɪzm̩/noun
formalism is a noun meaning “Strict adherence to a given form of conduct, practice etc” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). It is spelled F-O-R-M-A-L-I-S-M and has 4 syllables, and it appears about once in every 2 million words in written English (wordfreq, 2021 data). The plural of formalism is formalisms.
What does formalism mean?
noun
- 1
Strict adherence to a given form of conduct, practice etc.
- 2
One of several alternative computational paradigms for a given theory.
- 3
An approach to interpretation and/or evaluation focused on the (usually linguistic) structure of a literary work rather than on the contexts of its origin or reception.
- 4
The tendency to elevate formal above expressive value in music, as in serialism.
- 5
A particular mathematical or scientific theory or description of a given state or effect.
- 6
A formal expression of a grammar; a formal grammar; a set of rules of syntax that, without reference to semantics, determine whether a sequence of symbols is a well-formed sentence in a given formal language.
- 7
The ontological view of mathematics as a mere collection of string manipulation rules.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you pronounce formalism?
- UK /ˈfɔːməlɪz(ə)m/
- US /ˈfɔɹml̩ˌɪzm̩/
Formalism has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-formalism.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of formalism
- formalisms plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How common is formalism?
Formalism appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 42,680th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Formalism in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense strict adherence to a given form of conduct, practice, etc:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | formalisme |
| German | Formalismus |
| Portuguese | formalismo |
| Spanish | formalismo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does formalism come from?
From formal + -ism.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).