casual

1 of 2

adjective

ca·​su·​al ˈka-zhə-wəl How to pronounce casual (audio)
ˈkazh-wəl,
ˈka-zhəl
Synonyms of casualnext
1
: subject to, resulting from, or occurring by chance
a casual meeting
2
a
: occurring without regularity : occasional
casual employment
b
: employed for irregular periods
a casual worker
c
: met with on occasion and known only superficially
a casual friend
3
a(1)
: feeling or showing little concern : nonchalant
a casual approach to cooking
(2)
: lacking a high degree of interest or devotion
casual sports fans
casual readers
(3)
: done without serious intent or commitment
casual sex
b(1)
: informal, natural
a casual conversation
(2)
: designed for informal use
casual clothing
(3)
: allowing for the wearing of informal clothes
… I had my wedding skirt (yep, skirt—it was a casual wedding) …—Rory Evans
casual Fridays [=Fridays when employees (as in an office) are allowed to wear casual clothing]
casually adverb
casualness noun

casual

2 of 2

noun

1
: a casual (see casual entry 1 sense 2b) or migratory worker
2
: an officer or enlisted person awaiting assignment or transportation to a unit

Synonyms

Adjective

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for casual

accidental, fortuitous, casual, contingent mean not amenable to planning or prediction.

accidental stresses chance.

any resemblance to actual persons is entirely accidental

fortuitous so strongly suggests chance that it often connotes entire absence of cause.

a series of fortuitous events

casual stresses lack of real or apparent premeditation or intent.

a casual encounter with a stranger

contingent suggests possibility of happening but stresses uncertainty and dependence on other future events for existence or occurrence.

the contingent effects of the proposed law

random, haphazard, casual mean determined by accident rather than design.

random stresses lack of definite aim, fixed goal, or regular procedure.

a random selection of books

haphazard applies to what is done without regard for regularity or fitness or ultimate consequence.

a haphazard collection of rocks

casual suggests working or acting without deliberation, intention, or purpose.

a casual collector

Examples of casual in a Sentence

Adjective a casual encounter on the sidewalk The atmosphere at the meeting was quite casual. He made a casual remark about her shoes. He's a casual sports fan.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Across professional sports, the game can feel secondary as teams court the spending of more casual fans. —Andrew Greif, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024 Cost: Free for basic features; success fees for bill negotiation Free Version: Yes Candlestick Candlestick is an investment platform designed to make stock market investing more accessible, especially to casual or novice investors. —Jaime Catmull, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
The costume designer used emerging and luxury brands for Curry’s wardrobe, creating a mix of sporty casual and streetwear for the NBA player. —Layla Ilchi, WWD, 8 Aug. 2024 Business casual is usually best — no jeans, shorts, flip-flops or overly revealing clothing. —Kristen Rogers, CNN, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for casual 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French casuel, from Late Latin casualis, from Latin casus fall, chance — more at case

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1852, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of casual was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing casual

Dictionary Entries Near casual

cast-weld

casual

casual ejector

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Casual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/casual. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

casual

adjective
ca·​su·​al
ˈkazh-(ə-)wəl,
ˈkazh-əl
1
: happening unexpectedly or by chance : not planned or foreseen
a casual meeting
2
: happening without regularity : occasional
casual employment
3
a
: feeling or showing little concern : nonchalant
a casual approach to cooking
b
: designed for ordinary or informal use
casual clothes
casually
-ē
adverb
casualness noun

Legal Definition

casual

adjective
ca·​su·​al
1
a
: not expected or foreseen
b
: not done purposefully : accidental
2
a
: employed for irregular periods
a casual worker
b
: engaging in an activity on an occasional basis
a casual seller

More from Merriam-Webster on casual

Nglish: Translation of casual for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of casual for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about casual

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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