INFORMAL Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

informal

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˈfȯr-məl

Definition of informal

as in unconventional

not rigidly following established form, custom, or rules an informal meeting allowed everyone to get acquainted

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in casual

not designed to be worn only on special occasions chose an informal flowery dress

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 The mood was informal and chatty; Weyers and another member ate takeout noodles. — Shayla Love, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026 Slota’s prosecution is the latest linked to an informal but growing gun fandom on the far Left. — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2026 The mayor and village trustees’ comments came late Monday during their first public review of a project years in the making — albeit an informal, early evaluation, as plans now face further revisions. — Christopher Placek, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 Keshani, who is serving a five-year sentence, pushed for an informal wedding Sunday as fears mounted that Sepahi’s execution was imminent after a final family summons. — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for informal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for informal

Adjective

The food-beauty collaboration pipeline is gaining an unconventional contender.

— Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
The most unconventional of the trio is the jamón y queso, built with ribbons of jamón serrano.

— Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of unconventional

Adjective

The casual setup and price points at Tiger’s Den swing the sushi pendulum away from ultra luxury and back toward its origins in Japan as a quick, working-class meal.

— Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
The trick is to break up the jacket-and-skirt combo and pair each with more casual pieces that take the edge off its classic finish.

— Tatiana Ojea, Glamour, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of casual

Adjective

That’s the colloquial name for the Salkin House, an 1,100-square-foot dwelling perched on a hillside lot, built for violist Jules Salkin in 1948 by John Lautner, the famed midcentury modern architect.

— Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026
The theme uses a colloquial phrase almost like a mathematical function.

— Sam Corbin, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of colloquial

Adjective

On the one hand, there’s a fascination with collective joy and the forms of vernacular invention that aspire to it; on the other, there’s an underlying melancholy that points to the inevitability of isolation, an epistemology of loneliness.

— Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Undaunted, the couple embarked on a renovation, working with a local builder and an architect who understood the rustic vernacular architecture associated with Glacier National Park.

— Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2026