casual

[ kazh-oo-uhl ]

/ ˈkæʒ u əl /

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adjective

happening by chance; fortuitous: a casual meeting.

without definite or serious intention; careless or offhand; passing: a casual remark.

seeming or tending to be indifferent to what is happening; apathetic; unconcerned: a casual, nonchalant air.

without emotional intimacy or commitment: casual sex.

appropriate for wear or use on informal occasions; not dressy: casual clothes; casual wear.

irregular; occasional: a casual visitor.

accidental: a casual mishap.

noting or relating to video games that do not require much skill or time commitment, or noting a player of such games: casual gamers.Compare hard-core(def 6).

Obsolete. uncertain.

noun

a worker employed only irregularly.

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

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

Nearby words

Origin of casual

1325–75; Middle English < Latin cāsuālis, equivalent to cāsu(s) case¹ + -ālis -al¹; replacing Middle English casuel < Middle French < Latin as above

SYNONYMS FOR casual

1 unexpected, fortuitous, unforeseen.

6 random.

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ANTONYMS FOR casual

1 planned.

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Related forms

cas·u·al·ly, adverbcas·u·al·ness, nouno·ver·cas·u·al, adjectiveo·ver·cas·u·al·ly, adverb

o·ver·cas·u·al·ness, nounul·tra·cas·u·al, adjectiveul·tra·cas·u·al·ly, adverbul·tra·cas·u·al·ness, nounun·cas·u·al, adjectiveun·cas·u·al·ly, adverbun·cas·u·al·ness, noun

Synonym study

1. See accidental.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for casualness

So, when he faced his editor again, he was careful to dismiss the Ewing interview with just the proper degree of casualness.
The Prophetic Camera|John McGreevey
She made an effort at casualness: "Let's see what Daddy's doing back there."
Tree, Spare that Woodman|Dave Dryfoos
And he was astonished at the casualness with which she spent money in every shop that caught her fancy.
Evelyn Innes|George Moore
"Yes," said he, with all the casualness that he could assume.
Buried Alive: A Tale of These Days|Arnold Bennett

He had been thinking upon his sin and was startled at the casualness of the question.
Stubble|George Looms

British Dictionary definitions for casualness

casual

/ (ˈkæʒjʊəl) /

adjective

happening by accident or chancea casual meeting

offhand; not premeditateda casual remark

shallow or superficiala casual affair

being or seeming unconcerned or apathetiche assumed a casual attitude

(esp of dress) for informal weara casual coat

occasional or irregularcasual visits; a casual labourer

biology another term for adventive

noun

(usually plural) an informal article of clothing or footwear

an occasional worker

biology another term for an adventive

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

Derived Formscasually, adverbcasualness, noun

Word Origin for casual

C14: from Late Latin cāsuālis happening by chance, from Latin cāsus event, from cadere to fall; see case 1

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

Word Origin and History for casualness (1 of 2)

casualness

1730, from casual (adj.) + -ness.

Word Origin and History for casualness (1 of 2)

casual

adj.

late 14c., "subject to or produced by chance," from Middle French casuel (15c.), from Late Latin casualis "by chance," from Latin casus "chance, occasion, opportunity; accident, event" (see case (n.1)).

Of persons, in the sense of "not to be depended on, unmethodical," it is attested from 1883; meaning "showing lack of interest" is from 1916. Of clothes, "informal," from 1939. Related: Casually.

casual

adjective

noun

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Nearby words

Origin of casual

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for casualness

British Dictionary definitions for casualness

casual

adjective

noun

Word Origin for casual

Word Origin and History for casualness (1 of 2)

casualness

Word Origin and History for casualness (1 of 2)

casual