n.
1.the doctrine that formal structure rather than content is what should be represented
2.(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
3.the practice of scrupulous adherence to prescribed or external forms
Idiom of the Day
a standing joke
something that regularly and over time causes amusement when it is mentioned
It was a standing joke around our office that our boss was a very bad golfer.