1.
a. An established form of words or symbols for use in a ceremony or procedure. b. An utterance of conventional notions or beliefs; a hackneyed expression.
2. A method of doing or treating something that relies on an established, uncontroversial model or approach: a new situation comedy that simply uses an old formula.
3. Chemistry. a. A symbolic representation of the composition or of the composition and structure of a compound. b. The compound so represented.
4. a. A prescription of ingredients in fixed proportion; a recipe. b. A liquid food for infants, containing most of the nutrients in human milk.
5. Mathematics. A statement, especially an equation, of a fact, rule, principle, or other logical relation.
6. Formula Sports. A set of specifications, including engine displacement, fuel capacity, and weight, that determine a class of racing car.