¹formula

noun for·mu·la \ˈfȯr-myə-lə\

: a plan or method for doing, making, or achieving something

: a list of the ingredients used for making something (such as a medicine or a drink)

mathematics : a general fact or rule expressed in letters and symbols

plural for·mu·las or for·mu·lae\-ˌlē, -ˌlī\

Full Definition of FORMULA

a : a set form of words for use in a ceremony or ritual

b : a conventionalized statement intended to express some fundamental truth or principle especially as a basis for negotiation or action

a (1) : recipe (2) : prescription

b : a milk mixture or substitute for feeding an infant

a : a general fact, rule, or principle expressed in usually mathematical symbols

b : a symbolic expression of the chemical composition or constitution of a substance

c : a group of symbols (as letters and numbers) associated to express facts or data (as the number and kinds of teeth in the jaw) concisely

d : a combination of signs in a logical calculus

: a customary or set form or method allowing little room for originality

— for·mu·la·ic \ˌfȯr-myə-ˈlā-ik\ adjective

— for·mu·la·ical·ly \-ˈlā-ə-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

See formula defined for English-language learners

See formula defined for kids

Origin of FORMULA

Latin, diminutive of forma form

First Known Use: 1618

²formula

adjective

Definition of FORMULA

: of, relating to, or being an open-wheel open-cockpit rear-engine racing car conforming to prescribed specifications as to size, weight, and engine displacement

First Known Use of FORMULA

1951

Other Automotive Terms

articulated, block, choke, clutch, diesel, neutral, transmission

FORMULA Defined for Kids

formula

noun for·mu·la \ˈfȯr-myə-lə\

Definition of FORMULA for Kids

: a direction giving amounts of the substances for the preparation of something (as a medicine)

: an established form or method <a formula for success>

: a milk mixture or substitute for feeding a baby

: a general fact or rule expressed in symbols <We learned a formula for finding the size of an angle.>

: an expression in symbols giving the makeup of a substance <The chemical formula for water is H₂O.>

Medical Dictionary

formula

noun for·mu·la \ˈfȯr-myə-lə\

plural for·mu·las or for·mu·lae \-ˌlē, -ˌlī\

Medical Definition of FORMULA

a : a recipe or prescription giving method and proportions of ingredients for the preparation of some material (as a medicine) b : a milk mixture or substitute for feeding an infant typically consisting of prescribed proportions and forms of cow's milk, water, and sugar; also : a batch of this made up at one time to meet an infant's future requirements (as during a 24-hour period)

: a symbolic expression showing the composition or constitution of a chemical substance and consisting of symbols for the elements present and subscripts to indicate the relative or total number of atoms present in a molecule <the formula for ethyl alcohol is C₂H₅OH>—see empirical formula, molecular formula, structural formula