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

Brendon McCullum says he makes "no apologies" for running an informal dressing room as England coach but rejected the perception it is casual.

From BBC

Abiding by the sartorial pecking order has become more complicated as the financial industry’s dress code has gotten even more casual since the pandemic.

From The Wall Street Journal

Formula 1 has been surfing a wave of attention over the past five years, having transformed itself from a tired product that seemed both inaccessible and boring to casual viewers into a global entertainment phenomenon.

From The Wall Street Journal

For those with a minimum height of 34 inches, this is a casual, patient experience, one in which seated guests will gently lift off into the air for a slightly elevated view of the land.

From Los Angeles Times

Nike has been trying to pivot back to high-performance athleticwear after a long spell of selling casual footwear.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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