colloquial

[ kuh-loh-kwee-uhl ]

See synonyms for colloquial on Thesaurus.com

adjective

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

Origin of colloquial

First recorded in 1745–55; colloquy + -al¹

synonym study For colloquial

1, 2. 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.

Opposites for colloquial

formal

See antonyms for colloquial on Thesaurus.com

Other words from colloquial

col·lo·qui·al·ly, adverb
col·lo·qui·al·ness, col·lo·qui·al·i·ty, noun
qua·si-col·lo·qui·al, adjective
qua·si-col·lo·qui·al·ly, adverb
sem·i·col·lo·qui·al, adjective
sem·i·col·lo·qui·al·ly, adverb
un·col·lo·qui·al, adjective
un·col·lo·qui·al·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use colloquial in a sentence

The typical music video you find on YouTube is colloquially called “YouTube Poop” for a reason.
Death of the Author by Viral Infection: In Defense of Taylor Swift, Digital Doomsayer | Arthur Chu | December 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Although the term had been in use colloquially, it only started to appear in writing during the 1940s.
Holy Homophobia, Batman! A Queer Reading of the Dark Knight | Rich Goldstein | July 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
So many of the conductors were Irish immigrants that the IRT was colloquially called the “Irish Rapid Transit.”
Grand Central Terminal: 100 Years, 100 Facts | Sarah Begley | February 1, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Colloquially, “Israel” and “the Jewish state” are the same thing, right?
Romney's Shallow Speech | Michael Tomasky | October 8, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
Though this term literally means “playing the trumpet,” colloquially it refers to uncomplicated sex.
‘Jersey Shore’ Guide to Italian | Jaimie Etkin | August 4, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST

In the United States it is colloquially applied to legislators who practise obstruction.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 3 | Various
She was permitted only one, being of the age when fruit caused her, colloquially speaking, to "break out."
Long Live the King | Mary Roberts Rinehart
All People's, as the church was colloquially named, was one of the most popular places of worship in the city.
The Long Day | Dorothy Richardson
Now it is colloquially known as the "stone house," and has for sixty years been the home of the Owen King family.
Down the Mother Lode | Vivia Hemphill
The minister remembered a stray hint somewhere that Mr. Gorringe was a money-lender—what was colloquially called a "note-shaver."
The Damnation of Theron Ware | Harold Frederic

British Dictionary definitions for colloquial

colloquial

/ (kəˈləʊkwɪəl) /

adjective

of or relating to conversation
denoting or characterized by informal or conversational idiom or vocabulary: Compare informal

Derived forms of colloquial

colloquially, adverb
colloquialness, noun

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

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