form only

/fɔːrm ˈoʊnli/
adjective
  1. Relating to or involving only the outward appearance or structure, without real substance or meaning.
    • The apology felt form-only, as if he didn't really mean it.
    • She gave a form-only smile, but her eyes showed she was upset.
    • The company's safety training was form-only, just checking a box without teaching anything useful.
What does "form only" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean