1
as in unconventional
not rigidly following established form, custom, or rules
an informal meeting allowed everyone to get acquainted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in casual
not designed to be worn only on special occasions
chose an informal flowery dress
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of informal
During informal discussions with his agent Inaki Ibanez, Hughes was told Alonso would be staying at Leverkusen for another season.
—
The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Local and regional African credit rating agencies argue that their global counterparts overweight hard currency constraints and external shocks while underestimating domestic resilience and informal economic activity.
—Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 12 Jan. 2026
An informal hearing about Covia’s application for the 380-acre expansion will be held between the Department of Mines, Covia and community members in February.
—Kayla Branch, The Frontier, 12 Jan. 2026
Double islands have been used to add valuable workspace and storage in open kitchens, as well as to accommodate activities such as informal dining.
—Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for informal
The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Local and regional African credit rating agencies argue that their global counterparts overweight hard currency constraints and external shocks while underestimating domestic resilience and informal economic activity.
—Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 12 Jan. 2026
An informal hearing about Covia’s application for the 380-acre expansion will be held between the Department of Mines, Covia and community members in February.
—Kayla Branch, The Frontier, 12 Jan. 2026
Double islands have been used to add valuable workspace and storage in open kitchens, as well as to accommodate activities such as informal dining.
—Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for informal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for informal
Adjective
-
Timothée Chalamet’s promotional campaign for his new film Marty Supreme has been a little unconventional thus far.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The unconventional stay was also affordable, Giglia says, estimating her guests paid about $250 each for the weekend — a steal compared to her husband’s bachelor party in Los Cabos, Mexico, that ran about $800 per head.—
Jennifer Liu,
CNBC,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Last week, former Marni creative director Francesco Risso was appointed creative director of casual wear brand GU, which is owned by Uniqlo’s Japanese parent company Fast Retailing.—
Maliha Shoaib,
Vogue,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Bagail 8-piece Packing Cube Set While dress codes during the day skew casual on board a ship, passengers do like to dress up at night, which means the pressure is on to pull together a classy outfit that’s not on repeat.—
Kristine Hansen,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This time around, our Traitors and Faithfuls are a beautiful assortment of Housewives, Survivors, athletes, actors, and plenty of mothers — both literal (Donna Kelce) and in the colloquial sense (Porsha Williams).—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The colloquial term Paczki Day is used for Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras.—
Jelissa Burns,
Freep.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The rooms Guest rooms and suites have been nearly completely redone, corner to corner, and brought into a modern design vernacular.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The Upside Down, a dark, gooey parallel universe of Hawkins, and its predatory demogorgons became part of their middle school vernacular.—
Lorraine Ali,
Boston Herald,
30 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Informal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/informal. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
