INFORMAL Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

informal

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˈfȯr-məl

Definition of informal

as in unconventional

not rigidly following established form, custom, or rules an informal meeting allowed everyone to get acquainted

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in casual

not designed to be worn only on special occasions chose an informal flowery dress

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 informal The same is true of the price of pesticide, which is brought into Gaza via informal channels and sold by traders at a steep markup. — Ghada Abdulfattah, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Oct. 2026 Gun homicides mostly affect South Africa’s poorest communities in townships and informal settlements made up of shacks and small homes on the edges of big cities. — Gerald Imray, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026 Gun homicides mostly affect South Africa's poorest communities in townships and informal settlements made up of shacks and small homes on the edges of many big cities. — ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026 In addition to her art practice, Endaya is also a writer, curator, organizer, and informal educator. — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for informal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for informal

Adjective

As with their other current CBS hit Elsbeth — and unlike their more creatively unconventional streaming shows The Good Fight and Evil — Cupertino sands down some of the Kings’ jagged edges, aiming for something cuter.

— Noel Murray, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
He was known for intense performances and roles that often portrayed complex or unconventional characters.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of unconventional

Adjective

Wear them with your favorite vintage tee and sneakers or a polo tee and loafers for a casual ensemble, or slip on a sleek blouse and kitten heels for a night out with friends.

— Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 2 Oct. 2026
In the United States today, according to the report, nearly one in 10 streams is of music in Spanish, and in the first quarter, casual listenership of music in Spanish reached 54%, higher than it’s ever been.

— Leila Cobo, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of casual

Adjective

The colloquial names are fun, but can be confusing, because there’s also a plant called brown-eyed Susan, which is different from the black-eyed Susan.

— Sheryl DeVore, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026
Silent sleep apnea is a colloquial term for the form of the condition that occurs without the loud, disruptive snoring most people associate with it.

— Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of colloquial

Adjective

On the one hand, there’s a fascination with collective joy and the forms of vernacular invention that aspire to it; on the other, there’s an underlying melancholy that points to the inevitability of isolation, an epistemology of loneliness.

— Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Undaunted, the couple embarked on a renovation, working with a local builder and an architect who understood the rustic vernacular architecture associated with Glacier National Park.

— Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2026