'formulation' originates from Latin, specifically the Medieval Latin word 'formulatio', where 'formula' meant 'a little form' and '‑atio' was a noun-forming suffix meaning 'action or process'.

'formulation' changed from the Medieval Latin word 'formulatio' into Late Latin and Old French influences (e.g. French 'formulation') and eventually entered Modern English as 'formulation'.

Initially, it referred to 'the act of creating or applying a formula' or 'a small form'; over time it evolved to mean both 'the act of expressing something precisely' and 'a specific mixture or composition'.