for ‧ mu ‧ late AC /ˈfɔːmjəleɪt, ˈfɔːmjʊleɪt $ ˈfɔːr-/ BrE AmE verb [transitive]
1 . to develop something such as a plan or a set of rules, and decide all the details of how it will be done
formulate a policy/plan/strategy etc
He formulated Labour Party education policy in 1922.
formulate an idea/theory
Darwin formulated the theory of natural selection.
2 . to think carefully about what to say, and say it clearly:
We are studying the situation but have not formulated any response yet.
—formulation /ˌfɔːmjəˈleɪʃ ə n, ˌfɔːmjʊˈleɪʃ ə n $ ˌfɔːr-/ noun [uncountable and countable] :
the formulation of clear objectives