informally

American  

[in-fawr-muh-lee] / ɪnˈfɔr mə li /

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.

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Other Word Forms

• quasi-informally adverb
• superinformally adverb

Etymology

Origin of informally

informal ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

In this alternate past, a fatal blood virus, known informally as the Red Wind, has been ravaging the population for about a decade.

From Los Angeles Times

“Invest in your own intentional community,” said Thomas West, a financial adviser and senior partner at Signature Estate & Investment Advisors in Tysons, Va. “Secure caregiving formally and informally.”

From MarketWatch

Milei’s financiers have started informally dickering with investors over pricing the next issue, which should fly around current yields in a market hungry for emerging market exposure, Grills predicts.

From Barron's

“Every community is different,” said Pumphrey, who has started informally consulting counterparts on the development.

From The Wall Street Journal

And fewer people are wearing blazers and ties to work after the pandemic led to people dressing more informally for the office.

From BBC

Related Words

• commonly
• consistently
• easily
• generally
• instinctively
• normally
• simply
• spontaneously
• typically
• uniformly
• usually