nonchalance
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of nonchalance
From French, dating back to 1670–80; see origin at nonchalant, -ance
Explanation
Nonchalance is a casual lack of concern, a relaxed state without anxiety or enthusiasm. Like how you'd act if the girl you've had a secret crush on since grade school asks you to the prom. (Or maybe not.) It's hard to achieve nonchalance. If you're like most people, there's always going to be something that will rattle you. And you can forget about behaving with chalance, because chalance isn't a word. Sometimes you hear people say that so-and-so acted with "studied nonchalance," which means to sort of fake it. Oddly, the word's origins go back to the Latin calere, which is the same word as the root of calorie. A calorie is a unit of energy, and to act with nonchalance is to refrain from showing too much energy or excitement, so actually, it makes sense.
Vocabulary lists containing nonchalance
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
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The Book Thief
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The Witch of Blackbird Pond
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
No, the Strokes did not save rock ’n’ roll, but the excitement of “Is This It,” fueled by a combination of tense energy and nonchalance, has outlived the initial hype that surrounded its release.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Mr. Druckenmiller answered media inquiries with an admirable nonchalance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
But the nonchalance of the sapphic romance portrayed in the video for 2025’s “First Luv,” and the ferocious rapping of “Shagidi” show this is an ambitious band with influence and inventiveness, too.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026
This is one reason for the Fed’s nonchalance toward housing market risks in the early 2000s.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2025
He dragged one foot to give an impression of great innocence and nonchalance.
From "The Red Pony" by John Steinbeck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
