formulation

formulation — noun

1. the work of shaping a plan, policy, or idea from initial thoughts into a detaile

1.名詞B2
釋義

the work of shaping a plan, policy, or idea from initial thoughts into a detailed, organized set of actions or decisions

例句

The formulation of a new public health strategy took the ministry nearly a year.

formulation + of + noun phrase for process

Mayumi presented her formulation for the marketing approach to the board.

同義詞
  • development

    broader term; a plan can develop without the careful, detailed work that formulation implies

  • creation

    emphasizes bringing something new into existence rather than working out its details

  • devising

    suggests inventiveness or clever thinking; more informal than formulation

  • design

    focuses on the structure and layout of a solution, closer to planning than to policy-making

文法句型

formulation + of + noun phrase

用法筆記

Often uncountable to describe the process ('the formulation of a new economic strategy') and countable for a specific result or version ('three alternative formulations were considered').

常見錯誤

The formulation took two years' (vague).
The formulation of the plan took two years.
💡In this sense, what is being formulated should normally be specified using an 'of'-phrase after 'formulation'.
I worked on formulation for the company.
I worked on the formulation of the company's marketing strategy.
💡The object of formulation should be made explicit.

2. the particular way in which someone picks and arranges words to communicate a th

2.名詞B2
釋義

the particular way in which someone picks and arranges words to communicate a thought, opinion, or feeling

例句

The lawyer chose her formulation carefully to avoid any misunderstanding.

formulation as carefully chosen wording

Different formulations of the same question can lead to very different answers.

同義詞
  • expression

    broader term; covers any act of conveying meaning, not just careful word choice

  • wording

    more concrete and specific, referring to the exact words chosen rather than the act of choosing them

  • phrasing

    emphasizes the rhythm and flow of the words; more common in speech contexts

文法句型

formulation + of + noun phrase

someone's formulation of something

用法筆記

When countable, a formulation refers to one specific example of wording ('that was an unfortunate formulation'). When uncountable, it refers to the general skill or act ('formulation is harder than it looks in a second language').

常見錯誤

His formulation was unclear.
His formulation of the issue was unclear.
💡The topic being expressed should typically be stated after 'of' or as a possessive.