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

Example Sentences

Those applicants weren’t screened as strictly as usual because they were likely to be existing customers and would be informally vetted by branch staff, according to people familiar with the matter.

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Even many rank-and-file workers had to informally negotiate, coordinate and problem-solve with others, reminding us that workers don’t get their work done just by themselves.

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He wrote introductions and appreciations, edited anthologies and reissues, taught in writing programs, recommended candidates for artist residencies, advised the Guggenheim Foundation on fellowship recipients and informally brokered the advancement of innumerable authors.

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Proceedings were informally suspended early on Monday after the returning officer was allegedly subjected to "obstruction, intimidation, and unwarranted hostility by a number of representatives", a notice said.

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Someone working in government once told me an MP informally proposed creating a UK version of AWS.

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Related Words

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