formula

B1 Topic:Mathematics & Measurement

US /ˈfɔɹ.mjə.lə/ UK /ˈfɔː.mjʊ.lə/ See IPA manual

Freq #5057

Meanings

1

noun
A mathematical or scientific rule written with symbols.

The teacher wrote the formula for the area of a circle on the board.
2

noun
A plan or method that reliably produces a result.

There is no magic formula for success.
3

noun
A set of symbols showing the elements in a chemical compound.

H₂O is the formula for water.
4

noun
A milk-based drink given to babies instead of breast milk.

They switched to a different formula and the baby fed more happily.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a mathematical or... mathematical formula

3 noun · a set of symbols showing... chemical formula

Word family

Forms formulaeformulas

Derived forms counterformulaformulary formulate formulationformulistformulizefortranmultiformulastereoformulasubformulasuperformula

Related forms form formulaicformulism

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

empirical formula
a chemical formula giving the simplest ratio of elements in a compound

Adjective + noun

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin fōrmula (“a small pattern or mold, form, rule, principle, method, formula”), diminutive of forma (“a form”). See form.

formula Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Mathematics & Measurement

External links

# formula

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈfɔɹ.mjə.lə/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈfɔː.mjʊ.lə/
**Frequency rank:** 5057

## Meanings
1. A mathematical or scientific rule written with symbols.
2. A plan or method that reliably produces a result.
3. A set of symbols showing the elements in a chemical compound.
4. A milk-based drink given to babies instead of breast milk.

## Examples
- The teacher wrote the formula for the area of a circle on the board.
- There is no magic formula for success.
- H₂O is the formula for water.
- They switched to a different formula and the baby fed more happily.

## Derived Forms
- counterformula
- formulary
- formulate
- formulation
- formulist
- formulize
- fortran
- multiformula
- stereoformula
- subformula
- superformula

## Related Forms
- form
- formulaic
- formulism

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: formula

## Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin fōrmula (“a small pattern or mold, form, rule, principle, method, formula”), diminutive of forma (“a form”). See form.

## AI Etymology
Formula is described etymologically as learned borrowing from Latin fōrmula (“a small pattern or mold, form, rule, principle, method, formula”), diminutive of forma (“a form”). See form. In current use, the main senses are “A mathematical or scientific rule written with symbols” and “A plan or method that reliably produces a result”.

## Topics
- Mathematics & Measurement

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