nonchalance

American  

[non-shuh-lahns, non-shuh-lahns, -luhns] / ˌnɒn ʃəˈlɑns, ˈnɒn ʃəˌlɑns, -ləns /

noun

1. the state or quality of being nonchalant; cool indifference or lack of concern; casualness.

---

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nonchalance

Food culture is inordinately fond of nonchalance: meals that are “almost too easy,” cakes that come together “in a snap.”

From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026

In his later years he paraded his nonchalance: “If you don’t understand it, I’ll just write another one,” he told a reporter of his work.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2025

This is one reason for the Fed’s nonchalance toward housing market risks in the early 2000s.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2025

But to navigate that forest and find a clear solution, one must slash through their hubris with the same nonchalance as an employer slashing you from their payroll.

From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2025

I tried to feign nonchalance, act as though I’d done this before, but as we crossed the parking lot I felt as though Mother were watching me.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

Related Words

• casualness
• indifference
• insouciance