informality
Absence of ceremony
Informality is the quality of being casual, relaxed, or unofficial.
It describes situations, relationships, or communication styles that lack rigid structure or ceremony: The informality of the meeting put everyone at ease.
Informality can signal friendliness and accessibility, though in some contexts it risks seeming unprofessional: His informality with clients bordered on inappropriate.
Calm and unhurried
- easygoingRelaxed in temperament
- relaxedFree of stress
- looseNot firmly secured
- unbuttonedFreed from fasteners
nonchalant · carefree · breezy · offhand · free-and-easy · unpretentious · down-to-earth · folksy
Without advance preparation
- unplannedNot arranged beforehand
- unrehearsedNot practiced beforehand
- ad-libUnscripted speech or remark
- extemporaneousDone without advance preparation
improvisation · unscripted · offhand · freestyle · spur-of-the-moment · whimsical · instinctive · impulsive
Informal in-group vocabulary
- vernacularEveryday regional speech
- colloquialCasual, everyday language
- conversationalRelating to informal dialogue
- chattyInclined to converse freely
idiomatic · everyday speech · plain-spoken · demotic · street talk · lingo · jargon · dialect
Warmly familiar, informal
- friendlyShowing kindness, warmth
- approachableEasy to engage with
- warmthHeat you feel
- familiarityKnowledge through experience
rapport · camaraderie · bonding · closeness · affection · kinship · togetherness · openness
Not formally recognized
- unconventionalDeparting from standard practice
- unsanctionedNot officially permitted
- off-the-recordNot for attribution
- handshake dealUnwritten mutual commitment
unwritten · word-of-mouth · backdoor · under-the-table · gentlemen's agreement · uncodified
laid-back
Calm and unhurried
unbuttoned · nonchalant · carefree · breezy · offhand · free-and-easy · unpretentious · down-to-earth · folksy · homely
impromptu
Without advance preparation
- unplannedNot arranged beforehand
- unrehearsedNot practiced beforehand
- ad-libUnscripted speech or remark
extemporaneous · improvisation · unscripted · offhand · freestyle · spur-of-the-moment · whimsical · instinctive · impulsive · off-the-cuff
slang
Informal in-group vocabulary
- vernacularEveryday regional speech
- colloquialCasual, everyday language
- conversationalRelating to informal dialogue
chatty · idiomatic · everyday speech · plain-spoken · demotic · street talk · lingo · jargon · dialect · parlance
chummy
Warmly familiar, informal
- friendlyShowing kindness, warmth
- approachableEasy to engage with
- warmthHeat you feel
familiarity · rapport · camaraderie · bonding · closeness · affection · kinship · togetherness · openness · matey
unofficial
Not formally recognized
- unconventionalDeparting from standard practice
- unsanctionedNot officially permitted
- off-the-recordNot for attribution
handshake deal · unwritten · word-of-mouth · backdoor · under-the-table · gentlemen's agreement · uncodified
- languagelanguage, word, words, grammar, spelling
- language usejargon, idiom, idioms, slang, dialect
- interaction stylescooperation, collaboration, competition, negotiation, confrontation
- normsnorm, norms, standard, social norms, rule
- proprietydecorum, decency, propriety, correctness, suitability
- speech tonessarcasm, sincerity, politeness, rudeness, coldness
informalityformality
Strict observance of convention
ceremony · formalness · protocol · decorum · ritual
informalityaloofness
Emotional unavailability, standoffishness
reserve · stiffness · coldness · standoffishness · detachment
informalityformality
Strict observance of convention
formalism · precision · correctness · proper usage · literary style