INFORMALLY Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

informally

adverb

Definition of informally

as in casually

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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 informally Arsenal aren’t obliged to ask anyone’s permission before exploring the market — clubs routinely sound out interest and explore deals informally. — James McNicholas, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026 People have been informally betting on Mother Nature for more than 100 years, Pietruska said, dating to the 1880s when people in India would gamble on whether a rain gauge would overflow during a monsoon. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026 Although people sometimes use animals informally to mean only vertebrates (animals with backbones) or even just mammals, in biology the term includes insects as well. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026 But execs have spoken informally to banks about their options, though the company hasn’t formally retained a banker, generally a key early step in an M&A process. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026 The decision, the spokesperson said, was disseminated to residents informally during meetings — not announced in a document or formal settings. — Emily Holshouser august 12, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Aug. 2026 This should start very early in the school year and informally, by attending open houses, parent-teacher conferences, and other school events. — Parents, 7 Aug. 2026 Such leads belong informally to the scientists who discover them, but there’s nothing to stop a rogue taxonomist from sailing in with the Jolly Roger at full-mast. — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 Among 4,000 workers surveyed globally, only 34% say their organization practices pay transparency, formally or informally. — Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for informally

Adverb

The offseason especially has turned into showcase opportunities for players across social media and beyond, either casually or in tournament form.

— Omar Jimenez, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
Surveillance footage obtained by CBS News Miami appears to show the three female suspects enter the store on Wednesday to casually look at clothes.

— Ted Scouten, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of casually

Adverb

Attorneys for the players said Thursday that the Cobb County court found the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on claims that the NCAA applied its eligibility rules arbitrarily and inconsistently.

— Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
The government says the law does not allow land to be taken arbitrarily.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of arbitrarily

Adverb

Since it was designated the first national recreation area in 1964, hordes of visitors have cut Lake Mead’s glassy surface with jet skis and boats, carelessly dropping belongings that may now wash up on shore.

— Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Kylese Perryman claims his rights were violated, saying investigators carelessly and incorrectly identified him as the man responsible for a violent felony.

— Ubah Ali, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of carelessly

Adverb

Sculptures whimsically assembled from chairs, lamps, and a filing cabinet pulled from Cultural Center storage get roped off by floor tape that cleverly extends the artworks themselves, upending standard museum practice while also sticking to it.

— Lori Waxman, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
Out in the high desert near Cabazon, my favorite stops are Hadley’s Fruit Orchards, home of the famous Hadley date shakes, and the whimsically Cabazon Dinosaur sculptors.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026

Definition of whimsically

Adverb

Huxley’s critique is clear; America mistakes body for spirit, promiscuously confusing the physical with the metaphysical.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 May 2026
Political factions are steered by big personalities, and politicians jump promiscuously between parties.

— BEN BLAND, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2024

Definition of promiscuously

Adverb

Why AFib can be difficult to catch AFib causes the heart's upper chambers to beat irregularly.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Someone who gets hives or has gastrointestinal distress irregularly might not identify their dinner as the trigger of the symptoms, or might assume food poisoning.

— Eva Flowe May 29, Charlotte Observer, 29 May 2026

Definition of irregularly

Adverb

With the wedding just a few weeks away, Gail offhandedly introduces Tom to the concept of the celebrity pass, in which each person in a committed partnership is allowed to have sex with one famous person of his or her choice, identified in advance.

— Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 10 July 2026
Cardenas announced Apollo 3 in much the same way, offhandedly during our conversation.

— John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Definition of offhandedly

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informality

informally

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“Informally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/informally. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of informally

adverb

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