informality

[in-fawr-mal-i-tee]

noun

plural

informalities 

1. the state of being informal; absence of formality.

2. an informal act.

informality

/ ˌɪnfɔːˈmælɪtɪ /

noun

1. the condition or quality of being informal

2. an informal act

Other Word Forms

• superinformality noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of informality¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; in- ³ + formality

Example Sentences

While sharing similar tenets like low-slung horizontality, natural materials and warm informality, some incorporate elements of Colonial or Spanish architecture, others take on a bit of Swiss Chalet.

From Los Angeles Times

But she told me that her supervisor and mentor, Professor Louis Leakey, saw the value in her informality.

From BBC

The opulence of the White House, the informality of the food, the forced cheer of the players standing around Styrofoam boxes — it was spectacle with a barely disguised sneer.

From Salon

But from the moment he was elected in 2013, Pope Francis came with an informality and a smile that put the people he met at their ease.

From BBC

A New York Times front page article covering President Eisenhower's visit in 1959 remarked on the "informality" that governed his overnight stay.

From BBC

Related Words

• casualness www.thesaurus.com
• familiarity 
• nonchalance 
• simplicity 
• spontaneity