Meanings
proper nounthe Barcan formula
- human sciencesIn quantified modal logic, the formula ∀x□Fx→□∀xFx, meaning "if every x is necessarily F, then it is necessary that every x is F".
Origin
Introduced by the logician Ruth Barcan Marcus.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
Barcan formula. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Barcan%20formula
MLA
“Barcan formula.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Barcan%20formula. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Barcan formula,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Barcan%20formula.
Source: Barcan formula on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.