1
as in unconventional
not rigidly following established form, custom, or rules
an informal meeting allowed everyone to get acquainted
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2
as in casual
not designed to be worn only on special occasions
chose an informal flowery dress
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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of informal
Kevin Wilson, head of distribution for MGM/Amazon Studios said the slow rollout is proving fruitful as a young cinephile audience is starting to find the film with informal polling heavy on 18 to 30 year olds.
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Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Jan. 2025
This includes formal discussions between executives and owners and players’ representatives, as well as informal player-to-player exchanges and coach-to-player dialogue.
—Dan Sheldon, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
Trump's team and informal advisers have engaged in detailed discussions with representatives from the two Latin American governments, sometimes facilitated through business contacts, about accepting returning migrants, according to Bloomberg.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Not in one go of course, but in fits and starts that involved an informal competition with France, Britain, Portugal and Argentina.
—Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for informal 
Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Jan. 2025
This includes formal discussions between executives and owners and players’ representatives, as well as informal player-to-player exchanges and coach-to-player dialogue.
—Dan Sheldon, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
Trump's team and informal advisers have engaged in detailed discussions with representatives from the two Latin American governments, sometimes facilitated through business contacts, about accepting returning migrants, according to Bloomberg.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Not in one go of course, but in fits and starts that involved an informal competition with France, Britain, Portugal and Argentina.
—Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for informal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for informal
Adjective
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There, unconventional thinkers took advantage of a collapsing market.William Mullane, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2025
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Many albums and side projects later, aren’t the Strokes due a multi-track overview that takes us through their unconventional career?David Browne, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Locals recommend calling the restaurant in advance to check their availability, as the ultra-cozy, casual joint fills up quickly.Kayleigh Ruller, Charlotte Observer, 14 Jan. 2025
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These boots are ideal for pairing with both casual and slightly dressier looks and their platform design lengthened our legs slightly.Avery Stone, People.com, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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To push the colloquial gold envelope even further, Swift added a chain belt.Stacia Datskovska, WWD, 3 Jan. 2025
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From 1948 to 1972, Waugh served as an Army paratrooper and Green Beret, the colloquial name for Special Forces soldiers.Bayliss Wagner, Austin American-Statesman, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Bachman, then 30 years old, had already won national acclaim, and toured throughout the United States and Europe, with a sprawling collection of vernacular guitar music, spread across more than a dozen releases.Brendan Fitzgerald, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Dec. 2024
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The novelist was remarkable in approaching the subject of race as a modernist, rather than drawing on Southern tropes or vernacular to convey her characters’ Blackness, said Thadious M. Davis, a professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania who has studied and written about Larsen’s work.Ethelene Whitmire, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near informal
Cite this Entry
“Informal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/informal. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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