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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of informal
American presidents routinely travel to Britain for official, working and informal visits.
—
Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
For decades, Toronto has thrived on an informal bazaar of hotel-suite dealmaking, with a focus on finished films without domestic distribution.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025
While accusations of some grand conspiracy remain hearsay, Natthaphong says at the least the spat shows the peril of informal ties replacing official.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Sep. 2025
But these figures only scratch the surface of Nepal’s deep economic problems, which include pervasive vulnerable employment – informal and insecure work that is prone to poor conditions and pay – and limited opportunities that constrain long-term productivity.
—Nir Kshetri, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for informal
Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
For decades, Toronto has thrived on an informal bazaar of hotel-suite dealmaking, with a focus on finished films without domestic distribution.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025
While accusations of some grand conspiracy remain hearsay, Natthaphong says at the least the spat shows the peril of informal ties replacing official.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Sep. 2025
But these figures only scratch the surface of Nepal’s deep economic problems, which include pervasive vulnerable employment – informal and insecure work that is prone to poor conditions and pay – and limited opportunities that constrain long-term productivity.
—Nir Kshetri, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for informal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for informal
Adjective
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Lopez appeared to have hit his stride—the gown epitomized the unconventional opulence of his design language.—
Ana Karina Zatarain,
New Yorker,
19 Sep. 2025
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Conventional ideas of leisure are sins; the unconventional is redemptive.—
Nicole Flattery,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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From casual tunics to dressier button-down shirts that’ll pair perfectly with your entire fall wardrobe, Amazon’s best long-sleeve blouses are all under $35 right now.—
Mia Huelsbeck,
PEOPLE,
21 Sep. 2025
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Rumsey’s journey from casual interest to reseller highlights the growing appeal of compact VTOLs.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Mays brought the quality of Elegba’s duality to life with impeccable, almost intuitive range, dancing from whimsical embodiment to archival vernacular to colloquial ease with incredible intention and timing.—
Essence,
Essence,
17 Sep. 2025
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Today’s Wordle Etymology The word lefty is a colloquial formation from left + the diminutive/agentive suffix -y.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For such an insistence on democracy, the pavilion is curiously tepid in its politics, save for a kind of vernacular populism and some PBS-esque nods to the Gee’s Bend quilters.—
Kate Wagner,
Curbed,
5 Sep. 2025
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Once again, his use of vernacular and social media address appeared to be mocking the President’s own style.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Informal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/informal. Accessed 24 Sep. 2025.
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