1. The practice of scrupulous adherence to prescribed or external forms
   "The formalism of the court proceedings intimidated the witness"
    
2. The doctrine that formal structure rather than content is what should be represented
   "The artist's formalism focused on geometric shapes rather than realistic depictions"
    
3. (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
   "The mathematician's formalism focused on the structure of equations rather than their real-world interpretations"

Derived forms: formalisms

Type of: doctrine, ism, pattern, philosophical doctrine, philosophical system, philosophical theory, philosophy, practice, school of thought

Antonym: imitation

Encyclopedia: Formalism