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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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of informal
Rothwell Davis is the attorney on record for Garcia, while advocating for Go in an informal capacity.
—
Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2025
At that initial playoff committee meeting in Daytona Beach, an informal poll in the room showed a split between those who thought a change was desirable (again, including this writer) and those who felt the status quo was fine.
—Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 31 July 2025
Beijing has issued informal guidance to major Chinese tech groups to increase purchases of domestic AI chips in order to reduce reliance on Nvidia and support the evolution of a rival domestic chip ecosystem.
—Eleanor Olcott, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2025
That’s what our core business is really, creating an informal networking platform and matching people who could in the future work together.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for informal
Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2025
At that initial playoff committee meeting in Daytona Beach, an informal poll in the room showed a split between those who thought a change was desirable (again, including this writer) and those who felt the status quo was fine.
—Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 31 July 2025
Beijing has issued informal guidance to major Chinese tech groups to increase purchases of domestic AI chips in order to reduce reliance on Nvidia and support the evolution of a rival domestic chip ecosystem.
—Eleanor Olcott, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2025
That’s what our core business is really, creating an informal networking platform and matching people who could in the future work together.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for informal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for informal
Adjective
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And when goals did go in, the unconventional trajectory of the Jabulani was oddly fascinating.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
16 Aug. 2025
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The hero’s journey on this show is achieving their unconventional American dream.—
Giana Levy,
Variety,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Roots sells casual apparel, athletic gear and more, and while its headquarters is in Canada, its flagship store is in Michigan, where some Meijer stores operate.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
18 Aug. 2025
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Papa hasn’t gone business casual yet, but his latest outfit is noticeably less restrictive.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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But the colloquial use of the term has prompted criticism from some.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
20 July 2025
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Proposition 12 is the colloquial term for the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative.—
Alan Wooten,
The Washington Examiner,
28 June 2025
Adjective
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The musical tastes and vernacular of Abbie and Leila also come from that era of Martin's life.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
31 July 2025
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There are terms of affection for groups of players like the Busby Babes or Fergie’s Fledglings, but these were coined and used by journalists and not used in everyday vernacular.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Informal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/informal. Accessed 25 Aug. 2025.
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