business casual

American  

[biz-nis kazh-oo-uhl] / ˈbɪz nɪs ˌkæʒ u əl /

Also office casual

noun

1. a style of clothing for the office that is casual but neat and professional-looking.

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business casual British  

noun

1. informal a style of casual clothing worn by businesspeople at work instead of more formal attire

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Etymology

Origin of business casual

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Perhaps the two major parties can allow their members to deviate from business casual, since they control the overwhelming majority of elected offices.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

In 2005, an NBA dress code asked players to dress "business casual" while representing the sport - an attempt to banish streetwear from the league.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

Clad in a neutral-toned pinstripe collared shirt, he, along with his four bandmates, could be young executives at a business casual lunch.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 5, 2025

Remember when we were all doing business casual at 3 a.m.?

From Slate • Mar. 18, 2025

The Venetian hotel—Palazzo Ducale on the outside, Divine Comedy on the inside—was overrun by thousands of white men in business casual now earning their living, one way or another, off subprime mortgages.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis