formulate

To create something by carefully choosing and combining its parts.

• We need to formulate a plan.
• The company formulated a shampoo for dry hair.
• Officials are formulating a new housing policy.

How to use it: formulate something for someone/something (They formulated a cream for sensitive skin.)

Similar words: develop, devise, create

Common phrases: formulate a plan, formulate a policy, formulate a product

To express an idea or problem in a clear, exact way, sometimes using mathematical symbols.

• Try to formulate your question clearly.
• He formulated the problem as an equation.
• The researchers formulated a precise statement of their hypothesis.

How to use it: formulate something as something (We formulated the problem as a simple equation.); formulate something in terms of something (She formulated the question in terms of costs and benefits.)

Similar words: express, state, put into words

Common phrases: formulate a problem, formulate a question, formulate something as something