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
In an informal study recently, teachers at elite institutions complained that their students struggle to read books.
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Steven Levy, WIRED, 4 Dec. 2024
Kennedy said the informal makeup of the groups raises some concerns.
—David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 3 Dec. 2024
This broke a long- standing, informal rule of American politics.
—CBS News, 1 Dec. 2024
Hint #5: The correct answer can describe an informal language.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for informal 
Steven Levy, WIRED, 4 Dec. 2024
Kennedy said the informal makeup of the groups raises some concerns.
—David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 3 Dec. 2024
This broke a long- standing, informal rule of American politics.
—CBS News, 1 Dec. 2024
Hint #5: The correct answer can describe an informal language.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for informal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for informal
Adjective
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This prevents Adams from showing the disarming quality that Helena Bonham Carter brought to the eccentric mother figure in the 2010 Toast, an unconventional comic biography of chef Nigel Slater’s maternal fixation.Armond White, National Review, 13 Dec. 2024
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Firefighters in Norwalk, Connecticut rescued a familiar yet unconventional character after Santa Claus got stuck 60 feet above ground.Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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And where better to start than at a casual event filled with diverse people in a relaxed setting?Dr. Ruth Gotian, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
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These low-heeled platform ankle boots start at $40 and are just the thing for casual sightseeing days followed by dancing the night away.Brittany VanDerBill, Travel + Leisure, 14 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Today’s Connections groups are... Yellow group — baffle Green group — curse Blue group — Toy Story characters, familiarly Purple group — colloquial suffixes What Are Today’s Connections Answers? Spoiler alert!Kris Holt, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
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Ortiz helped Clark use colloquial Spanish, so some of the songs use slang most commonly used in Mexico.Tasha Tsiaperas, Axios, 3 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But in the past decade, Chinese auto designs have developed their own, more worldly design vernacular, says Brenden Donnelly, who worked in design and brand management at the Chinese automakers Geely and Lynk & Co before founding his own startup.Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 12 Dec. 2024
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But Jake Xerxes Fussell’s music, which draws heavily from nineteenth- and twentieth-century vernacular folk songs and archival field recordings, is idiomatic, and entirely his own.Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near informal
Cite this Entry
“Informal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/informal. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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