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smart casual

American

Or smart-casual

adjective

(of clothing) neat or professional-looking but fairly casual.

The dress code for the event will be smart casual.

noun

smart casual clothing or style.

Etymology

Origin of smart casual

First recorded in 1920–25

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.

There's also a sighting of the Alan Partridge-style smart casual look.

From BBC • Dec. 22, 2025

Places like The Savoy, the Willard Hotel and Waldorf Astoria are less strict on dress codes, but still ask their guests to arrive in smart casual attire.

From Salon • Jan. 6, 2024

When I wear Western smart casual in the U.S.,

From Scientific American • Nov. 8, 2023

Its campaigns show women wearing the unisex tops with satin skirts and styled as smart casual clothing to wear out to dinner.

From Reuters • Nov. 1, 2023

Table and armchairs form the sets for both channels, the dress code being smart casual.

From The Guardian • Jun. 4, 2010

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023