Meanings
plural formularies
- A list of formulas; a collection of set forms to be followed, especially in religious belief.
“Pray,” replied the Colonel, “do you believe in all the doctrines to be found in the public creeds and formularies of our own church.”
1789, John Moore, Zeluco, Valancourt, published 2008, page 136 - A pharmacopoeia or list of available drugs, particularly prescription drugs.
However, when used appropriately under medical guidance, this drug is a safe and essential part of a physician's formulary.
2009 February 2, “Oxycodone has positive side, too”, in Toronto Star - governmentA list of drugs, created by health insurers, hospitals, or prescription drug plans, that defines how costs for any drug are shared between patient and health care provider, typically broken down by tiers such as preferred generics with lowest copay, or preferred brand with higher copay, or non-preferred brand and not covered tiers with the highest cost to the patient.
Even if beneficiaries want to stay in their current plan, they should still check that the drugs they take are remaining on their plan's formulary and on the same co-pay "tier" as before.
2006 October 3, Vanessa Fuhrmans, “Medicare drug plans: the new choices”, in Pittsburgh Post Gazette, archived from the original on 13 Nov 2006 - An ancient or medieval collection of models for official writings.
- A collection of formulas in sciences and mathematics.
comparative more formulary · superlative most formulary
Synonyms & antonyms
noun(pharmacology) a book containing a compilation of pharmaceutical products with their formulas and methods of preparation
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Frenchformulaire
- Englishformulary
From Middle French formulaire. By surface analysis, formula + -ary.
More words from Middle French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian справо́чник
- справо́чник (spravóčnik)collection of formulas in sciences and mathematics
Cite this entry
formulary. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/formulary
“formulary.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/formulary. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “formulary,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/formulary.
Source: formulary on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.