casual
adjective
ca·su·al
| \ ˈkazh-wəl
, ˈka-zhə-wəl, ˈka-zhəl\
, ˈka-zhə-wəl, ˈka-zhəl\
Definition of casual
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: subject to, resulting from, or occurring by chance
a casual meeting
2a
: 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
3a(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
(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]
casual
nounDefinition of casual (Entry 2 of 2)
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
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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: Adjective
Emma Roberts and Lucy Hale sported the colorful trend earlier this year, rocking tie-dye for a day spent in casual streetwear. — Elana Rubin, Teen Vogue, "Cardi B Wore a Tie-Dye Catsuit to the Made in America Festival," 1 Sep. 2019 Tyler, the Creator has largely cast away the casual homophobia, sexism, lurid violence and cynicism that characterized his time with the Odd Future collective. — Mary Carole Mccauley, baltimoresun.com, "Top Baltimore arts events for fall 2019," 29 Aug. 2019 Yet, in a city where AirPods double as do-not-disturb signs, there’s something refreshing about a casual conversation with a complete stranger. — Simone Stolzoff, SFChronicle.com, "They called an UberPool and found love," 27 Aug. 2019 At that decibel level, inviting a fake Oprah Winfrey, cutting your wedding cake with a samurai sword, and blatantly staging a fist-fight starts to seem like casual behavior. — Aja Romano, Vox, "Jake Paul and Tana Mongeau’s giant YouTuber wedding married reality TV to the internet," 30 July 2019 When the 2019 Emmy nominations are announced on Tuesday morning, casual TV viewers may be surprised to see that a number of past winners, some of which are airing their latest seasons now, won't be among the nominees. — Hilary Lewis, The Hollywood Reporter, "Emmys: Why Past Winners Like 'Big Little Lies' and 'Handmaid's Tale' Won't Be Nominated in Major Categories This Year," 16 July 2019 Brix Wines combines retail and bar, keeping prices by the bottle down and creating an atmosphere for casual conversation. — Arizona Republic, azcentral, "Summer in Arizona: Locals share 100 fun ways to survive the 100-degree heat in Phoenix," 1 July 2019 The report suggests social spaces, such as coffee mornings and lunches, could encourage staff to have casual conversations. — Elizabeth Gibney, Scientific American, "Discrimination Drives LGBT+ Scientists to Think About Quitting," 29 June 2019 Jim Nantz, the longtime host of the CBS broadcast and of the Butler Cabin sacrament, has perfected an air of unctuous self-satisfaction that signals even to the casual viewer that there is something batty about the whole enterprise. — Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, "Inside the Cultish Dreamworld of Augusta National," 14 June 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
So, as Thee Stallion suggests, dress business casual at least twice a week. — Bianca Nieves, Teen Vogue, "Your Guide to Having A Hot Girl Semester," 28 Aug. 2019 Alex Loznak, 22, a senior at Columbia University, is dressed business casual for an internship interview. — Julia Felsenthal, Vogue, "Do Americans Have a Constitutional Right to a Livable Planet? Meet the 21 Young People Who Say They Do," 21 Mar. 2019 Everyone is dressed a couples notches above your standard Seattle Sunday casual here. — Jenna Scatena, Condé Nast Traveler, "10 Best Brunch & Breakfast Places in Seattle," 21 May 2018 Even as fast casual continues to grow in popularity, the number of outlets still account for a tiny fraction of the overall industry — about 4 percent. — Lori Weisberg, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Fast casual chains — think Panera, Chipotle — show no signs of fading," 4 July 2018 He was built like a wrestler and dressed in business casual: a sky-blue polo shirt, gray slacks and round tortoiseshell glasses. — Vanessa Grigoriadis, New York Times, "The ‘Sex Cult’ That Preached Empowerment," 30 May 2018 The hatch cover was below decks on a crowded transport ship and also was inhabited by some 20 junior officers and casuals, sleeping side by side on makeshift cots. — Washington Post, "AP WAS THERE: 75 years ago, reporter lands on Attu Island," 29 May 2018 Of note: Fast casual, metered street parking, cash only. Find it: 2607 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-697-4234, www.renochicago.com. — Ina Pinkney, chicagotribune.com, "Go-to breakfasts from wood-fired bagels to grilled coffee cake to deli classics," 24 Apr. 2018 The last time the union and PMA held a drawing in the Los Angeles area was in 2004 and many of those casuals are still waiting for a shot at a regular union job. — Rachel Uranga, Orange County Register, "Drawing for lucrative L.A. and Long Beach port jobs is back on — for now," 8 Feb. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'casual.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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