The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word EQUATION
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
E
Q
U
A
T
I
O
N
More clues leading to the result EQUATION
- Extraordinary antique holds old correspondence
- Mathematical statement in a quote, perhaps?
- Quite a differentexpression for summer?
- E=mc2, say — quite a different case of omission
- Unusual quote in a line in a maths book?
- A boring broadcast on quiet times is often part of this formula
- EU country wanting head welcoming Queen’s correspondence
- Old antique provoked correspondence
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "times is often part of this formula" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case times is often part of this formula = equation.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does EQUATION mean?
EQUATION noun- The act or process of equating two or more things, or the state of those things being equal (that is, identical).
- An assertion that two expressions are equal, expressed by writing the two expressions separated by an equal sign; from which one is to determine a particular quantity.
- A small correction to observed values to remove the effects of systematic errors in an observation.