informal
English meaning: Informal
Definition
Relaxed, friendly, and not following strict rules.
Example
“The meeting was informal, so everyone spoke freely and joked together.”
Another example: “We had an informal get-together at her house after work.”
Usage — When, Where & How
Describes a relaxed style, event, or register ('an informal chat', 'informal language'). Key term in language teaching for everyday speech. Attributive or predicative.
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
From 'in-' (not) plus 'formal'.
Related Words
Common Collocations
- informal meeting
- informal language
- informal chat
- informal setting
- relatively informal
Word Forms
informal; informally (adv); informality (n)
Word Tools
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
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Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B