formulary

/ˈfɔː(ɹ)mjʊləɹi/

//ˈfɔː(ɹ)mjʊləɹi// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"formulary" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“formulary” is uncommon English (frequency #70,671 among 2,507 “F” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#70,671
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A list of formulas; a collection of set forms to be followed, especially in religious belief.

Corpus desk

Index EN-formulary · formulary · English

formulary · rank #70,671 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #70,671
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH Foxborough

Nearest frequency peer: Foxborough (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “formulary”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “formulary” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for formulary
PropertyValue
Headwordformulary
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfɔː(ɹ)mjʊləɹi/
Letters9
Frequency rank#70,671
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “formulary” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).formularyfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “Foxborough” (#70,672), “flout” (#70,669), “Frankland” (#70,674). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “formulary” is #70,671. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

formulary is uncommon English at frequency #70,671 among 2,507 “F” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈfɔː(ɹ)mjʊləɹi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for formulary, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French formulaire. By surface analysis, formula + -ary. The correct English form is formulary, spelled F-O-R-M-U-L-A-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A list of formulas; a collection of set forms to be followed, especially in religious belief.
  2. 2
    A pharmacopoeia or list of available drugs, particularly prescription drugs
  3. 3
    A list of drugs, created by health insurers, hospitals, or prescription drug plans, that defines how costs for any drug are shared between patient and health care provider, typically broken down by tiers such as preferred generics with lowest copay, or preferred brand with higher copay, or non-preferred brand and not covered tiers with the highest cost to the patient.
  4. 4
    An ancient or medieval collection of models for official writings.
  5. 5
    A collection of formulas in sciences and mathematics.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how formulary appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. “Pray,” replied the Colonel, “do you believe in all the doctrines to be found in the public creeds and formularies of our own church.”
  2. However, when used appropriately under medical guidance, this drug is a safe and essential part of a physician's formulary.

Etymology

From Middle French formulaire. By surface analysis, formula + -ary.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "formulary"?
"formulary" is spelled F-O-R-M-U-L-A-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɔː(ɹ)mjʊləɹi/.
What does "formulary" mean?
As a noun, "formulary" means: A list of formulas; a collection of set forms to be followed, especially in religious belief.
How do you pronounce "formulary"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "formulary" is /ˈfɔː(ɹ)mjʊləɹi/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "formulary"?
From Middle French formulaire. By surface analysis, formula + -ary. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "formulary", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Frankland#70,674Epictetus#70,642Glengarry#70,700endorphin#70,637

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list