1
as in unconventional
not rigidly following established form, custom, or rules
an informal meeting allowed everyone to get acquainted
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in casual
not designed to be worn only on special occasions
chose an informal flowery dress
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3
as in colloquial
used in or suitable for speech and not formal writing
the use of informal language in a scholarly article is really inappropriate
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of informal
Dmitriev, who once worked in investment banking and now serves as an informal Kremlin envoy, has been promoting joint U.S.-Russia economic ventures, including cooperation on energy, mineral extraction and even space exploration, as a potential part of a broader normalization of ties.
—
David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025
The informal settlement of wooden shacks was built on a landfill dump, and the tremors ignited a huge fire which spread rapidly, residents said.
—Rebecca Wright, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025
Male Alzheimer’s caregivers group: The Men’s Breakfast Club is an informal and unstructured gathering of male caregivers.
—Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2025
Rubin set him up with Kanye West, who at the time was hosting a series of informal songwriting sessions at his home in Los Angeles.
—Anna Wiener, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for informal
David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025
The informal settlement of wooden shacks was built on a landfill dump, and the tremors ignited a huge fire which spread rapidly, residents said.
—Rebecca Wright, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025
Male Alzheimer’s caregivers group: The Men’s Breakfast Club is an informal and unstructured gathering of male caregivers.
—Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2025
Rubin set him up with Kanye West, who at the time was hosting a series of informal songwriting sessions at his home in Los Angeles.
—Anna Wiener, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for informal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for informal
Adjective
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The mill embraces the beauty of imperfection and asymmetry in Chaos Aesthetics, a trend concept that favors expressive textures, unconventional finishes and rich tactile experiences.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
17 Apr. 2025
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The generational gap in honesty found in the survey comes amid a broader trend of unconventional job-search behaviors among younger candidates, including ghosting employers and abandoning the hiring process midway.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The Retreat Linen Top and matching Mid-rise Shorts, both over 40 percent off, can be styled together for a polished resort outfit or worn separately with basics for casual, everyday wear.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Apr. 2025
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If the weather promises to be nice, pull the picnic tables together for a casual potluck gathering full of everyone's favorite Easter food.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Because back nine is close to backside, and backside is just far too colloquial.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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Russ Scholl, a ski instructor at Breckenridge Ski Resort, has published a 133-square grid of funky colloquial phrases for different types of snow.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In addition to the musical reconstruction, McBurney has been making a contemporary English version of the libretto, with the translator Hannah Whitley, that preserves the original’s vernacular.—
Jeffrey Arlo Brown,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2025
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This therapist speaks in a very specific kind of vernacular.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Informal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/informal. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.
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