informal

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɪnˈfɔː.m(ə)l/ (UK); /ɪnˈfɔɹ.m(ə)l/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is from English in- + formal, in- meaning not.^[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lacking form, not according to the rules of formal logic: before 1460 in Barnhart, the mid-15th century in Etymonline.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Irregular or unofficial, not according to rule or custom, is from about 1600 (1608 in the OED),^[3][5] and done without ceremony by 1828.^[3][5] Disordered in mind is an obsolete sense from 1603.^[5] In Australia and New Zealand an informal vote is a spoilt ballot, from 1957.^[5] Language suited to everyday conversation rather than formal writing is in modern dictionaries.^[6][7]

Timeline

• before 1460 – lacking form.^[2]
• 1608 – irregular, unofficial.^[5]
• 1828 – unceremonious.^[3][5]
• 1957 – an informal vote (Australia, NZ).^[5]

Modern meaning

Adjective

1. Relaxed and friendly; not formal or ceremonious: an informal lunch.
2. Unofficial; not in accordance with set rules: an informal agreement.
3. Of language, suited to everyday conversation rather than formal writing; colloquial.
4. Of clothes, suited to everyday wear; casual.

Word family

• informally
• informality
• superinformal

Related words

• formal
• form

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
3. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
7. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins