informal

See also: informál

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɔː(r)məl

Adjective

informal (comparative more informal, superlative most informal)

1. Not formal or ceremonious.
   • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 3, The Mirror and the Lamp:

     One saint's day in mid-term a certain newly appointed suffragan-bishop came to the school chapel, and there preached on “The Inner Life.”  He at once secured attention by his informal method, and when presently the coughing of Jarvis […] interrupted the sermon, he altogether captivated his audience with a remark about cough lozenges being cheap and easily procurable.

   an informal get-together

2. Not in accord with the usual regulations.

   an informal agreement

3. Suited for everyday use.

   informal clothes

4. (of language) Reflecting everyday, non-ceremonious usage.
5. (horticulture) Not organized; not structured or planned.

Related terms

• informality
• informally

Synonyms

• (not formal or ceremonious): casual
• (not in accord with the usual regulations): unofficial
• (suited for everyday use): casual
• (language: reflecting everyday, non-ceremonious usage): colloquial

Antonyms

• formal

Translations

not formal or ceremonious

• Catalan: informal (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 非正式 (zh) (fēizhèngshì)

• Czech: neformální
• Esperanto: neformala
• French: informel (fr)
• German: informell (de), unförmlich (de), zwanglos (de)
• Greek: φιλικός (el) (filikós)
• Hindi: अनौपचारिक (anaupcārik)
• Icelandic: óformlegur (is)

• Irish: neamhnósúil
• Japanese: 非公式の (hikōshiki no), 日常の (nichijō no), 普段の (fudan no), 褻の (ke no)
• Manx: neuformoil
• Maori: ōpaki
• Polish: potoczny (pl)
• Portuguese: informal (pt) c
• Russian: неформальный (ru) (neformál'nyj), неофициальный (ru) (neoficiál'nyj), непринуждённый (ru) (neprinuždjónnyj)
• Spanish: informal (es)
• Swedish: informell (sv)
• Welsh: anffurfiol (cy)

not in accord with the usual regulations

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 非正式 (zh) (fēizhèngshì)

• French: informel (fr)
• German: inoffiziell (de)

• Japanese: 非公式の (hikōshiki no), 内々の (uchiuchi no)
• Spanish: informal (es)

language: reflecting everyday, non-ceremonious usage

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 俗 (zh) (sú)

• French: informel (fr), familier (fr)
• Greek: ανεπίσημος (el) (anepísimos)

• Japanese: 口語の (kōgo no)
• Spanish: familiar (es)

Anagrams

• formalin

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Catalan

Etymology

in- +‎ formal

Adjective

informal m, f (masculine and feminine plural informals)

1. informal

Derived terms

• informalment

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Portuguese

Adjective

informal m, f (plural informais, comparable)

1. informal (not formal or ceremonious)

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Spanish

Adjective

informal m, f (plural informales)

1. informal

Derived terms

• informalmente