Meaning

noun the doctrine that formal structure rather than content is what should be represented

noun (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

noun the practice of scrupulous adherence to prescribed or external forms

originEtymology tree English formal Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós)der. English -ism English formalism From formal + -ism.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0