informal

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

|Updated on: 17 Aug 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

Mac Users Group: Saturday, July 21, at 11 a.m. Join facilitator Marc Edrich for the Mac Users Group, an informal gathering of Apple product users.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The Windsor Edition," 10 July 2018
Join an informal gathering each month to promote environmental and economic sustainability.

— elaine rewolinski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "A listing of home and garden events for the Milwaukee area (Summer 2018 edition)," 4 July 2018
At an informal gathering at a Beijing restaurant, fans talked about how Ms. Chen’s first book showed them a new path.

— john corrigan, WSJ, "An American Lean-In Guru in China," 21 June 2018
Chase, 71, attended the first festival in Boise, an informal gathering in 1989.

— michael katz, idahostatesman, "At Boise's first Pridefest, people had to hide behind masks. Now thousands celebrate.," 16 June 2018
This marks Trump’s second summit of the G-7, an informal gathering that meets every year under a rotating chairmanship.

— catherine lucey, Time, "Trump Says Russia Should Be Reinstated to G-7 Ahead of Summit," 8 June 2018
This marks Trump's second summit of the G-7, an informal gathering that meets every year under a rotating chairmanship.

— chicagotribune.com, "Trump says Russia should be allowed in G-7," 8 June 2018
This marks Trump’s second summit of the G-7, an informal gathering that meets every year under a rotating chairmanship.

— BostonGlobe.com, "President Trump says Russia should be allowed back in G-7," 8 June 2018
This will be Trump’s second summit of the G-7, an informal gathering that meets every year under a rotating chairmanship.

— Washington Post, "Trump to face tough crowd at G-7 amid tariff fight," 7 June 2018

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