casual

American  

[kazh-oo-uhl] / ˈkæʒ u əl /

adjective

1. happening by chance; fortuitous.

   a casual meeting.

   Synonyms:

   incidental, unexpected

   Antonyms:

   planned

2. without definite or serious intention; careless or offhand; passing.

   a casual remark.

3. appropriate for wear or use on informal occasions; not dressy.

   casual clothes; casual wear.

4. seeming or tending to be indifferent to what is happening; relaxed; nonchalant.

   a casual, unconcerned air.

5. without emotional intimacy or commitment.

   casual sex.

6. irregular; occasional.

   a casual visitor.

   Synonyms:

   unpredictable, unconcerned, indifferent, apathetic, unceremonious, informal

   Antonyms:

   serious, formal, concerned

7. accidental.

   a casual mishap.

8. noting or relating to activities that do not require much skill or time commitment.

   casual gamers.

9. Obsolete. uncertain.

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noun

1. a worker employed only irregularly.

2. a soldier temporarily at a station or other place of duty, and usually en route to another station.

3. Usually casuals an article of clothing for casual wear.

4. a person who does something only occasionally.

   Most of our customers are casuals.

5. Usually Disparaging. a person who plays video games that do not require much skill or time commitment.

casual British  

/ ˈkæʒjʊəl /

adjective

1. happening by accident or chance

   a casual meeting

2. offhand; not premeditated

   a casual remark

3. shallow or superficial

   a casual affair

4. being or seeming unconcerned or apathetic

   he assumed a casual attitude

5. (esp of dress) for informal wear

   a casual coat

6. occasional or irregular

   casual visits

   a casual labourer

7. biology another term for adventive

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noun

1. (usually plural) an informal article of clothing or footwear

2. an occasional worker

3. biology another term for an adventive

4. (usually plural) a young man dressed in expensive casual clothes who goes to football matches in order to start fights

Related Words

See accidental.

Other Word Forms

• casually adverb
• casualness noun
• overcasual adjective
• overcasualness noun
• ultracasual adjective
• ultracasualness noun
• uncasual adjective
• uncasualness noun

Etymology

Origin of casual

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Latin cāsuālis, equivalent to cāsus case ¹ + -ālis -al ¹; replacing Middle English casuel, from Middle French, from Latin as above

Example Sentences

For casual users, the extra layer of encryption may slow down connection speeds without providing meaningful benefits.

From Salon

And when young people stop spending, fast casual feels it first.

From The Wall Street Journal

He wants Lululemon to stay focused on activities like running, yoga, tennis and golf but sees opportunities to expand selectively into lifestyle and casual items.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s casual and not fancy but delicious; the quality of food is unbelievable.

From Los Angeles Times

If you hate the thought of being alone, it’s not too late to invite a few people over for a casual potluck or after-party.

From Salon

Related Words

• cool
• cursory
• easygoing
• folksy
• homey
• informal
• laid-back
• mellow
• offhand