formalism
NounUS[fawr-muh-liz-uhm]/ˈfɔrməˌlɪzəm/4 syllables
Open English WordNet
Noun (3)
- the doctrine that formal structure rather than content is what should be representedOpposite imitationType of doctrine, philosophy
- (philosophy) the philosophical theory that formal (logical or mathematical) statements have no meaning but that its symbols (regarded as physical entities) exhibit a form that has useful applicationsType of philosophical doctrine, philosophical theory
- the practice of scrupulous adherence to prescribed or external formsType of practice, pattern
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onerousadjective
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Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Form′al·ism (fôrm′al-ĭz'm), noun
The practice or the doctrine of strict adherence to, or dependence on, external forms, esp. in matters of religion.
Official formalism.— Sir Henry Creswicke Rawlinson
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54