formula

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)Any mathematical rule expressed symbolically.

   “x=(-b±√)/(2a) is a formula for finding the roots of the quadratic equation ax² + bx + c = 0.”

2. (countable, uncountable)A symbolic expression of the structure of a compound.

   “H₂O is the formula for water.”

3. (countable, uncountable)A plan or method for dealing with a problem or for achieving a result.

   “The company's winning formula includes excellent service and quality products.”

   “Shakespeare has gone back to the formula of last season, by encouraging his players to press high up the pitch and restoring Shinji Okazaki to the starting XI to scurry around between midfield and attack.”

   “Delays, large and small, have a huge variety of causes, so there is no magic formula for preventing them.”

4. (countable, uncountable)A formulation; a prescription; a mixture or solution made in a prescribed manner; the identity and quantities of ingredients of such a mixture.

   “The formula of the rocket fuel has not been revealed.”

5. (countable, uncountable)A fixed phrase or set of words intended to be interpreted non-literally, typically used attitudinally or as part of convention; a formulation.

   “Avoid the typical epistolic formalae, such as "Kind regards".”

6. (countable, especially, uncountable)A formal statement of doctrine.

   “The extract from the Missal of Constance, which was printed before the editio princeps […] does not contain the formulae for Advent, Sundays after Epiphany, Lent and the Sundays after Easter and Pentecost; […]”

7. (abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable)Ellipsis of infant formula, drink given to babies to substitute for mother's milk.

   “They tried switching formulas, and it seemed to work: the baby seemed more content while feeding.”

   “Many women advocate for formula, insisting that women who advocate breast-feeding have become self-righteous “lactavists,” as one writer puts it.”

8. (countable, uncountable)A syntactic expression of a proposition, built up from quantifiers, logical connectives, variables, relation and operation symbols, and, depending on the type of logic, possibly other operators such as modal, temporal, deontic or epistemic ones.