casual

American  

[kazh-oo-uhl] / ˈkæʒ u əl /

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.

   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 British  

/ 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

Related Words

See accidental.

Other Word Forms

• casually adverb
• casualness noun
• overcasual adjective
• overcasualness noun
• ultracasual adjective
• ultracasualness noun
• uncasual adjective
• uncasualness noun

Etymology

Origin of casual

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

Explanation

Something casual is ordinary or everyday — not too special, unusual, fancy, serious, or eventful. You might have a casual conversation with your classmates before homeroom, or attend a casual backyard barbecue. If you're going to your friend's house for a dinner of pizza and soda, you could describe the evening as a casual night at home. Formal attire might mean tuxedos and evening gowns, but casual clothing is the kind of clothing you wear every day, for ordinary activities. If you treat a person or a subject in a casual way, you're not paying close attention or treating them as special. And you might remind your siblings to act casual on the day of your mom's surprise birthday party so that they don't ruin the surprise.

Example Sentences

Engaging with others, even in casual encounters, is a way to push back against those feelings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

And she gave uncontested evidence that her lifestyle was a world away from his claims of casual pick-ups.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

The format will feature Williams in extended interviews with pop culture figures and newsmakers in a casual setting.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

Demand in China has been wobbly, and the company has been trying to sell off piles of unwanted casual sneakers, like Dunks and Air Force 1s.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

But there is one thing archaeologists, scientists, historians, and even casual observers agree on: the astonishing gearwork is far more technologically sophisticated than anyone had expected from an artifact of this time.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

Related Words

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