FORMALISM

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does formalism mean? 

• FORMALISM (noun)
  The noun FORMALISM has 3 senses:

1. the doctrine that formal structure rather than content is what should be represented

2. (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 applications

3. the practice of scrupulous adherence to prescribed or external forms

  Familiarity information: FORMALISM used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FORMALISM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The doctrine that formal structure rather than content is what should be represented

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("formalism" is a kind of...):

doctrine; ism; philosophical system; philosophy; school of thought (a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group or school)

Antonym:

imitation (the doctrine that representations of nature or human behavior should be accurate imitations)

Derivation:

formalistic (concerned with or characterized by rigorous adherence to recognized forms (especially in religion or art))

Sense 2

Meaning:

(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 applications

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("formalism" is a kind of...):

philosophical doctrine; philosophical theory (a doctrine accepted by adherents to a philosophy)

Domain category:

philosophy (the rational investigation of questions about existence and knowledge and ethics)

Derivation:

formalistic (concerned with or characterized by rigorous adherence to recognized forms (especially in religion or art))

Sense 3

Meaning:

The practice of scrupulous adherence to prescribed or external forms

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("formalism" is a kind of...):

pattern; practice (a customary way of operation or behavior)

Derivation:

formalistic (concerned with or characterized by rigorous adherence to recognized forms (especially in religion or art))

 Context examples 

A mathematical formalism that transforms sequences of values into an equivalent representation that consists of the sum of many sinusoids having different frequencies and amplitudes.

(Fourier Analysis, NCI Thesaurus)