An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

1. Excessive adherence to prescribed forms.
   

2. Math., Logic: → Formalized expression of a set of elements; the nature of such expression.
   

3. A philosophical view of mathematics in which mathematics, including the logic used in proofs, can be based on the formal manipulation of symbols irrespective of their meaning.

See also: From → formal + → -ism.