informally

[in-fawr-muh-lee]

adverb

1. in a casual manner, without formality.

   Some folks still dress to the nines in formal gowns and tuxedos, but most people dress more informally.

2. in a way that does not involve or follow prescribed procedures or go through formal or official channels.

   Cases of minor misconduct or unsatisfactory performance are usually best dealt with informally.

3. in a way that is not orchestrated or arranged.

   Hallways and pedestrian bridges joining the buildings provide spaces for researchers to interact informally.

4. using familiar, casual, or ordinary speech or writing.

   We use different registers, speaking more informally with family and friends out of the classroom than when discussing academics within the classroom.

Other Word Forms

• quasi-informally adverb
• superinformally adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of informally¹

informal ( def. ) + -ly

Related Words

• commonly 
• consistently 
• easily 
• generally 
• instinctively 
• normally 
• simply 
• spontaneously 
• typically 
• uniformly www.thesaurus.com
• usually