informal

adjective in·for·mal \ (ˌ)in-ˈfȯr-məl \

|Updated on: 8 Jun 2018

Examples: informal in a Sentence

Definition of informal

1 : marked by the absence of formality or ceremony

an informal meeting

2 : characteristic of or appropriate to ordinary, casual, or familiar use

informal clothes

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informality

play \(ˌ)in-(ˌ)fȯr-ˈma-lə-tē, -fər-\ noun

—

informally

play \(ˌ)in-ˈfȯr-mə-lē\ adverb

See informal defined for English-language learners

See informal defined for kids

Examples of informal in a Sentence

We had an informal meeting over lunch.
He has an informal manner that puts people at ease.
He spoke to them in informal Spanish.
The term is common in informal contexts.
He took an informal poll among his coworkers.

Recent Examples of informal from the Web

In Ho Chi Minh City, one-third of all jobs are in the informal sector.

— annette m. kim, The Atlantic, "Satellite Images Can Harm the Poorest Citizens," 5 June 2018
An informal poll of Tribune collegues revealed a mostly balanced split.

— kate thayer, chicagotribune.com, "Yanny or Laurel? It's all in your brain," 17 May 2018
In 2004 Mexico introduced Seguro Popular, a scheme that covered 50m people in the informal sector.

— The Economist, "The price of human livesMore and wiser health-care spending could save millions of lives," 26 Apr. 2018
Although the country recently moved up 14 places on the World Bank's ease of doing business ranking, most of its businesses remain in the informal sector where there is little help and loans are hard to come by.

— munachim amah and bukola adebayo, CNN, "'We are not lazy,' Nigerian youth lash out at President Buhari on social media," 20 Apr. 2018
The program offers persons with dementia an opportunity to chat with other soccer fans in an informal and relaxed setting.

— michael ego, Smithsonian, "A New Therapy Has People With Dementia Sharing Baseball Memories," 30 Mar. 2018
Shannon Emerick will perform the play in an informal reading setting.

— staff report, Houston Chronicle, "'Natural Shocks' to be hosted by Main Street Theater on April 20," 29 Mar. 2018
That change, designed to capture taxes and the informal sector, resulted in a higher growth rate even as the overall value of goods and services shrank slightly.

— Bloomberg.com, "Data Is India’s Next Political Battleground," 26 Feb. 2018
The ability to pay whenever was a boon for the many Soweto residents who make their living in an informal sector that pays no mind to monthly billing cycles.

— elijah wolfson, Newsweek, "A Water Project Cleans Up Nairobi's Slum," 9 Nov. 2014

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'informal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of informal

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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informal Synonyms

INFORMAL Defined for English Language Learners

informal

adjective

Definition of informal for English Language Learners

: having a friendly and relaxed quality
: suited for ordinary use when you are relaxing
of language : relaxed in tone : not suited for serious or official speech and writing