Formula
WordNet

### noun

(1)   Something regarded as a normative example
"The convention of not naming the main character"
"Violence is the rule not the exception"
"His formula for impressing visitors"
(2)   (mathematics) a standard procedure for solving a class of mathematical problems
"He determined the upper bound with Descartes' rule of signs"
"He gave us a general formula for attacking polynomials"
(3)   A group of symbols that make a mathematical statement
(4)   A conventionalized statement expressing some fundamental principle
(5)   Directions for making something
(6)   A representation of a substance using symbols for its constituent elements
(7)   A liquid food for infants
WiktionaryText

### Etymology

< , diminutive of ; see form.

### Noun

formula (plural formulae in scientific use, formulas in informal use)
1. Any mathematical rule expressed symbolically.
$x = \frac \left\{-b \pm \sqrt\left\{b^2 - 4ac\right\}\right\}\left\{2a\right\}$ is the formula for finding the roots of the quadratic equation y = ax2 + bx + c.
2. A symbolic expression of the structure of a compound.
H2O is the formula for water (Dihydrogen monoxide)
3. A plan of action intended to solve a problem.
4. A formulation; a prescription; a mixture or solution made in a prescribed manner; the identity and quantities of ingredients of such a mixture.
The formula of the rocket fuel has not been revealed.
5. A syntactic expression of a proposition, built up from quantifiers, logical connectives, variables, relation and operation symbols, and, depending on the type of logic, possibly other operators such as modal, temporal, deontic or epistemic ones.