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business casual

American

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

Also office casual

noun

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

business casual British

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of business casual

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

His proposal called for business casual attire, neat facial hair and closed-toe shoes.

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

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

From Slate • Mar. 18, 2025

Same with casual attire — as opposed to business casual attire.

From Salon • Oct. 24, 2024

Just about everyone else dressed business casual; the few guys who were actually important people wore three-thousand-dollar Italian suits.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023