colloquial

American  

[kuh-loh-kwee-uhl] / kəˈloʊ kwi əl /

adjective

1. characteristic of or appropriate to ordinary or familiar conversation rather than formal speech or writing; informal.

   Antonyms:

   formal

2. involving or using conversation.

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colloquial British  

/ kəˈləʊkwɪəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to conversation

2. denoting or characterized by informal or conversational idiom or vocabulary Compare informal

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Related Words

Colloquial, conversational, informal refer to types of speech or to usages not on a formal level. Colloquial is often mistakenly used with a connotation of disapproval, as if it meant “vulgar” or “bad” or “incorrect” usage, whereas it is merely a familiar style used in speaking and writing. Conversational refers to a style used in the oral exchange of ideas, opinions, etc.: an easy conversational style. Informal means without formality, without strict attention to set forms, unceremonious: an informal manner of speaking; it describes the ordinary, everyday language of cultivated speakers.

Other Word Forms

• colloquiality noun
• colloquially adverb
• colloquialness noun
• quasi-colloquial adjective
• quasi-colloquially adverb
• semicolloquial adjective
• semicolloquially adverb
• uncolloquial adjective
• uncolloquially adverb

Etymology

Origin of colloquial

First recorded in 1745–55; colloquy + -al ¹

Example Sentences

“Hyperscalers are situationships, not spouses,” Rezaei wrote in a Tuesday note, referencing a colloquial term for romantic entanglements lacking clear boundaries and formal commitment.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

“We had a colloquial term in the operating room: December Deductible Derby,” said Dr. Parcells, noting that patients seeking insurance-covered surgeries like breast augmentations have deductibles in mind.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 7, 2026

In subsequent years, voting has played only a part in the choices, which have included 2023's "rizz" -- a colloquial term defined as "style, charm, or attractiveness" -- and last year's "brain rot".

From Barron's • Dec. 1, 2025

The acronym “GOAT” has become so common in colloquial conversation that it has practically lost all significance, appearing so frequently that the idea of greatness has been dulled into something ordinary, rather than exceptional.

From Salon • Sep. 19, 2025

Or did that line mean blow the whistle in the colloquial sense, as in “to reveal a secret or alert someone to a crime”? Either way, it didn’t make any sense to me.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Related Words

• conversational
• vernacular