informal
gb/ɪnfˈɔɹməl/ us/ɪnfˈɔɹməl/
B1
Engleză
~ 7300
Sensuri
0 sensuri
adjective
B1
property
1
relaxed and casual in style
Relaxed and casual; not serious or very polite in style or situation.
Tipar de utilizare:
informal [meeting/party/chat/setting/tone]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes think 'informal' means 'not important', but it mainly means 'relaxed' and 'not strict'. Also, many learners overuse 'casual' and forget that 'informal' is more common for meetings, letters, and atmosphere (e.g., 'an informal meeting', 'an informal email').
Sinonime
casual (Very close in meaning; often used for events and situations that are relaxed and not strict.)
|
relaxed (Focuses more on the feeling and mood than on rules or style.)
|
easygoing (More about a person’s personality; suggests someone is not strict or tense.)
Antonime
formal (Describes events or behavior that follow strict rules and polite standards.)
Colocații
informal meeting
|informal gathering
|informal chat
|informal setting
|informal atmosphere
|informal tone
Teme
daily life
|work
|communication
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Exemple
- The interview was quite informal, and we just chatted over coffee.
- They prefer an informal office culture where people can dress and speak more freely.
- The letter had a warm, informal tone that made customers feel welcome.
- It was only an informal party, so you didn’t need to bring a gift.
- Let’s keep this discussion informal and open so everyone feels comfortable speaking.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- The dinner was informal, and people talked freely.
- We had an informal meeting in the café.
- Her email was very informal and friendly.
- Our teacher likes an informal class atmosphere.
- He spoke in an informal way with his boss.
adjective
B2
property
2
not official or legally formalized
Not official; not written down or done by strict rules or law.
Tipar de utilizare:
informal [agreement/arrangement/discussion/process]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes think 'informal agreement' means 'secret', but it only means that it is not written or officially approved. Also, 'informal' is used with 'agreement', 'arrangement', and 'process'; do not say *'unformal agreement'*, which is incorrect.
Sinonime
unofficial (Very close in meaning; common when talking about status or approval by an authority.)
|
nonofficial (More technical or written; used in policy or legal contexts.)
Antonime
official (Has legal force or is formally approved by an authority.)
Colocații
informal agreement
|informal arrangement
|informal discussion
|informal complaint
|informal process
|informal review
Teme
work
|business
|law
Exemple
- We have an informal agreement to share the office space, but nothing is written.
- Employees are encouraged to resolve problems through an informal process before making a formal complaint.
- He gave the minister some informal advice over lunch.
- The talks were strictly informal and did not represent the government’s official position.
- Parents often have informal arrangements to pick up each other’s children from school.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- They made an informal agreement to work together.
- This is just an informal visit, not an official one.
- We had an informal talk before the real meeting.
- Try an informal solution before you write a formal letter.
- The rules are informal here and not written down.
adjective
B1
property
3
casual in clothing or dress code
Describes clothes that are casual and not for very formal events.
Tipar de utilizare:
informal [clothes/dress/dress code/wear]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes say *'comfortable style'* when they mean 'informal' or 'casual'. Also, 'informal' usually describes clothes or a dress code in general; saying *'an informal suit'* is uncommon—people usually say 'a casual suit' or just 'a suit'.
Sinonime
casual (The most common word for everyday clothing; often interchangeable with 'informal' in this sense.)
Antonime
formal (Describes clothes for business, ceremonies, or special events, such as suits and evening dresses.)
Colocații
informal clothes
|informal dress
|informal wear
|informal dress code
|smart informal
|informal look
Teme
daily life
|fashion
|clothing
|daily_life
Exemple
- The invitation says the dress code is informal, so jeans are fine.
- He prefers informal clothes and rarely wears a suit.
- On Fridays, staff can wear more informal dress to the office.
- Her style is informal but still looks neat and professional.
- The restaurant has a very informal look, with people in T-shirts and sneakers.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- You can wear informal clothes to the party.
- The meeting is informal, so no suit is needed.
- At this school, students wear informal dress on Fridays.
- His style at work is informal but clean.
- She likes an informal look, not a formal one.
adjective
B2
property
4
casual or conversational language style
Describes language that is friendly and like normal speech, not careful or official writing.
Tipar de utilizare:
informal [language/speech/writing/email/text]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes call a person 'informal' when they really mean the person is 'friendly' or 'relaxed'. 'Informal' here should describe the language, not the person (e.g., 'informal language', 'informal email', not *'he is informal'* in this sense).
Sinonime
colloquial (More technical and used in grammar or style guides; often about spoken, everyday language.)
|
casual (Describes a relaxed tone, but is broader and not only about language.)
Antonime
formal (Describes careful, polite, and often written language used in official or serious situations.)
Colocații
informal language
|informal speech
|informal writing
|informal email
|informal style
|informal tone
Teme
communication
|education
|language
Exemple
- Avoid using very informal language in an academic essay.
- The text message was full of slang and other informal expressions.
- In this report, an informal writing style would be inappropriate.
- Teachers often switch from formal to informal speech when chatting with students after class.
- Her blog uses a friendly, informal tone to explain complex ideas.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- Do not use informal words in your exam writing.
- That email is too informal for your boss.
- Text messages are usually written in informal language.
- He spoke in informal English with his friends.
- We learned the difference between formal and informal style.
Gramatică
Forma de dicționar
informal
IPA
GB/ɪnfˈɔɹməl/
US/ɪnfˈɔɹməl/
Silabe și accent
in - form - al (3 silabe)
Stress on 2nd syllable (form)
Forme ale cuvântului
Adjective
- Base: informal
Familie de cuvinte
Expresii
informal agreement
1/ɪnfˈɔɹməl əɡɹˈimənt/
fixed phrase
unwritten, unofficial agreement
An agreement that people make by talking but do not write down or make official.
Exemple
- We have an informal agreement to share the costs of the project.
- The two companies reached an informal agreement before signing a contract.
informal economy
1/ɪnfˈɔɹməl ɪkˈɑnəmi/
fixed phrase
technical
economy outside formal regulation
All the work and business that is not officially recorded by the government and usually not taxed.
Exemple
- The informal economy can provide income for people who cannot find formal jobs.
- Measuring the size of the informal economy is difficult for researchers.
informal education
1/ɪnfˈɔɹməl ˌɛd͡ʒəkˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
learning outside formal schools
Learning that happens in daily life, at home, at work, or in the community, not in an official school or course.
Exemple
- Museums play an important role in informal education.
- Children get a lot of informal education from their families.
informal language
1/ɪnfˈɔɹməl lˈæŋɡwɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
everyday, relaxed style of language
Language that people use in normal, friendly situations, with simple words and grammar and sometimes slang.
Exemple
- This textbook explains which words are formal and which are informal language.
- In job applications, avoid very informal language like slang and emojis.
informal meeting
1/ɪnfˈɔɹməl mˈitɪŋ/
fixed phrase
relaxed, unofficial meeting
A meeting that is relaxed and not official, often without a fixed plan or record.
Exemple
- Let’s have an informal meeting tomorrow to share our first ideas.
- The manager held an informal meeting over lunch to discuss the changes.
informal sector
1/ɪnfˈɔɹməl sˈɛktɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
unregulated part of the economy
The part of the economy where people work and earn money, but the government does not control or tax the work in a clear way.
Exemple
- Many street vendors work in the informal sector.
- In some countries, the informal sector employs a large share of the population.
keep it informal
1/kˈip ˈɪt ɪnfˈɔɹməl/
fixed phrase
ask to stay relaxed and casual
To ask people to stay relaxed and not follow strict rules in how they talk, act, or dress.
Exemple
- Let’s keep it informal and just talk about how we feel.
- The host told guests to keep it informal and wear whatever they liked.