for ‧ mu ‧ la ‧ ic /ˌfɔːmjəˈleɪ-ɪk◂, ˌfɔːmjʊˈleɪ-ɪk◂ $ ˌfɔːr-/ BrE AmE adjective formal
containing or made from ideas or expressions that have been used many times before and are therefore not very new or interesting:
Children love jokes and riddles that are heavily formulaic.