casual

[ kazh-oo-uhl ]

adjective

1. happening by chance; fortuitous:

   a casual meeting.

   Synonyms: incidental, unexpected

   Antonyms: planned

2. without definite or serious intention; careless or offhand; passing:

   a casual remark.

3. appropriate for wear or use on informal occasions; not dressy:

   casual clothes; casual wear.

4. seeming or tending to be indifferent to what is happening; relaxed; nonchalant:

   a casual, unconcerned air.

5. without emotional intimacy or commitment:

   casual sex.

6. irregular; occasional:

   a casual visitor.

   Synonyms: unpredictable, unconcerned, indifferent, apathetic, unceremonious, informal

   Antonyms: serious, formal, concerned

7. accidental:

   a casual mishap.

8. noting or relating to activities that do not require much skill or time commitment: Compare hard-core ( def 6 ).

   casual gamers.

9. Obsolete. uncertain.

noun

1. a worker employed only irregularly.
2. a soldier temporarily at a station or other place of duty, and usually en route to another station.
3. Usually casuals. an article of clothing for casual wear.
4. a person who does something only occasionally:

   Most of our customers are casuals.

5. Usually Disparaging. a person who plays video games that do not require much skill or time commitment.

casual

/ ˈkæʒjʊəl /

adjective

1. happening by accident or chance

   a casual meeting

2. offhand; not premeditated

   a casual remark

3. shallow or superficial

   a casual affair

4. being or seeming unconcerned or apathetic

   he assumed a casual attitude

5. (esp of dress) for informal wear

   a casual coat

6. occasional or irregular

   casual visits

   a casual labourer

7. biology another term for adventive

noun

1. usually plural an informal article of clothing or footwear
2. an occasional worker
3. biology another term for an adventive
4. usually plural a young man dressed in expensive casual clothes who goes to football matches in order to start fights

Derived Forms

• ˈcasually, adverb
• ˈcasualness, noun

Other Words From

• cas·u·al·ly adverb
• cas·u·al·ness noun
• o·ver·cas·u·al adjective
• o·ver·cas·u·al·ness noun
• ul·tra·cas·u·al adjective
• ul·tra·cas·u·al·ness noun
• un·cas·u·al adjective
• un·cas·u·al·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of casual¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Latin cāsuālis, equivalent to cāsus case ¹ + -ālis -al ¹; replacing Middle English casuel, from Middle French, from Latin as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of casual¹

C14: from Late Latin cāsuālis happening by chance, from Latin cāsus event, from cadere to fall; see case ¹

Synonym Study

See accidental.

Example Sentences

While she was a casual viewer of “Beverly Hills,” and she knew, to varying degrees, members of its cast, she hadn’t ever considered being a part of it.

From Los Angeles Times

But during a seizure, the chatter synchronizes into loud bursts of electrical activity that overwhelm the brain's casual conversation.

From Science Daily

But between Olympic Games, those personalities become nearly invisible, and that leaves the sport racing to rebuild interest among casual fans every four years.

From Los Angeles Times

She also collaborated with the costume team on Bianca’s casual approach to fashion, which included sneakers, T-shirts and bomber jackets.

From Los Angeles Times

As with birtherism his casual indifference to policy details, along with his made-up fantasy narratives, makes the gaslighting involved far more central.

From Salon

Related Words

• cool
• cursory
• easygoing
• folksy
• homey
• informal
• laid-back
• mellow
• offhand