A person who rigidly adheres to formulas, rules, or established procedures without considering individual circumstances or creative solutions.
From 'formula' (Latin formulae, diminutive of forma meaning 'form') + '-ist' (one who practices or believes in). The suffix '-ist' was added to create an agent noun describing someone devoted to formulas.
Medieval monks were early formularists—they copied manuscripts using exact formulas to maintain consistency, literally creating the standardized methods we still use today. This word captures how following rules too strictly can sometimes prevent innovation.
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