formalism
/ˈfɔɹml̩ˌɪzm̩/
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.68 in modern English
Meaning
noun
An approach to interpretation and/or evaluation focused on the (usually linguistic) structure of a literary work rather than on the contexts of its origin or reception.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
The tendency to elevate formal above expressive value in music, as in serialism.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
A particular mathematical or scientific theory or description of a given state or effect.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
A formal expression of a grammar; a formal grammar; a set of rules of syntax that, without reference to semantics, determine whether a sequence of symbols is a well-formed sentence in a given formal language.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
The ontological view of mathematics as a mere collection of string manipulation rules.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Heisenberg seems to have been motivated by his intense annoyance that Schrödinger's more intuitive version of quantum theory was more widely accepted than his own, even though both formalisms led to the same results."
- "Dirac approaches quantum mechanics by means of a so-called symbolic method, the bracket formalism. Although this formalism has a mathematical flavour, in fact, it is based upon bold claims which lack mathematical foundation."
- "1992, tuart M. Shieber, Constraint-based Grammar Formalisms, The MIT Press, page 51, It is this abstraction that justifies considering these methods as characterizing constraint-based formalisms in general, rather than an individual formalism."
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈfɔɹml̩ˌɪzm̩/
- British English: /ˈfɔːməlɪz(ə)m/