— formalist , n. , adj. — formalistic , adj. — formalistically , adv.
/fawr"meuh liz'euhm/ , n.
1. strict adherence to, or observance of, prescribed or traditional forms, as in music, poetry, and art.
2. Relig. strong attachment to external forms and observances.
3. Ethics. a doctrine that acts are in themselves right or wrong regardless of consequences.
4. Logic , Math. a doctrine, which evolved from a proposal of David Hilbert, that mathematics, including the logic used in proofs, can be based on the formal manipulation of symbols without regard to their meaning.
[ 1830-40; FORMAL 1 + -ISM ]