Formalism is a style, especially in art, in which great attention is paid to the outward form or appearance rather than to the inner reality or significance of things.
...the rigid formalism of classical ballet.
formalistadjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
...art based on formalist principles.
formalism in British English
(ˈfɔːməˌlɪzəm)
noun
1.
scrupulous or excessive adherence to outward form at the expense of inner reality or content
2.
a.
the mathematical or logical structure of a scientific argument as distinguished from its subject matter
b.
the notation, and its structure, in which information is expressed
3. theatre
a stylized mode of production
4.
(in Marxist criticism) excessive concern with artistic technique at the expense of social values, etc
5.
the philosophical theory that a mathematical statement has no meaning but that its symbols, regarded as physical objects, exhibit a structure that has useful applications
Compare logicism, intuitionism
Derived forms
formalist (ˈformalist)
noun
formalistic (ˌformalˈistic)
adjective
formalistically (ˌformalˈistically)
adverb
formalism in American English
(ˈfɔrməlˌɪzəm)
noun
1.
strict or excessive attention to or insistence on outward forms, as in art, or established traditions, as in religion