ˈfȯrməˌlizəm, -ȯ(ə)m- noun
( -s )
Etymology: formal (I) + -ism
1.
a. : the practice or the doctrine of strict adherence to or dependence on prescribed or external forms
the rigid formalism of the royal court
also : an instance of this
the petty formalisms with which he filled his life
b. : the using or observance of external religious forms without the life and spirit of religion
c.
(1) : any theory (as that of Kant) holding that the nature of duty is determined by purely formal principles (as the categorical imperative) rather than by a consideration of the consequences of actions
(2) : intuitionism 1
d. : a philosophy of mathematics that seeks to establish the consistency of mathematics by metamathematical methods — compare intuitionism
2.
a. : emphatic or predominant attention to arrangement, style, or artistic means (as in graphic art, literature, or music) usually with corresponding de-emphasis of content ; often : strict adherence to traditional or prescribed rules and methods in the arts
b. : dramatic representation in which all the elements of production are conventionalized into simple and arbitrary terms