Dictionary

casual en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /ˈkæʒwəl/ (General-American)
• /ˈkaʒjuːəl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈkaʒ(uː)əl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈkɛʒ(ʉː)əl/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/ (General-American)
• /ˈkazjuːəl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /-uːæl/ (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle French casuel, from Late Latin cāsuālis (“happening by chance”), from Latin cāsus (“event”) (English case), from cadere (“to fall”) (whence English cadence).

Meanings

1. Happening by chance.
   • casual breaks, in the general system 1819 June 23 – 1820 September 13, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “(please specify the title)”, in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., New York, N.Y.: […] C[ornelius] S. Van Winkle, […], →OCLC:
   • They only had casual meetings.
2. Coming without regularity; occasional or incidental.
   • The purchase of donuts was just a casual expense.
   • a constant habit, rather than a casual gesture 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne, chapter 9, in The Scarlet Letter, a Romance, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, →OCLC:
3. Employed irregularly.
   • This time was most dreadful for Lilian. Thrown on her own resources and almost penniless, she maintained herself and paid the rent of a wretched room near the hospital by working as a charwoman, sempstress, anything. In a moment she had dropped to the level of a casual labourer. 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XVII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
   • He was just a casual worker.
4. Careless.
   • I removed my jacket and threw it casually over the back of the settee. 2007, Nick Holland, The Girl on the Bus, page 117:
5. Happening or coming to pass without design.
   • Hogan assumed the entire creek bed was to be played as a casual hazard, moved his ball out and assessed himself a one-stroke penalty. 2012, Jeff Miller, Grown at Glen Garden: Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, and the Little Texas Golf Course that Propelled Them to Stardom:
   • It was a casual sneer, obviously one of a long line. There was hatred behind it, but of a quiet, chronic type, nothing new or unduly virulent, and he was taken aback by the flicker of amazed incredulity that passed over the younger man's ravaged face. 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 8, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
6. (of behavior, qualifier:usage; or milieu; usage; or milieu) Informal; relaxed.
   • tone in casual interactions
7. (of clothing or utensils) Designed for informal or everyday use.
   • pants in the casual wear collection

Forms

Antonyms

ceremonial · regulation · formal · inevitable · official · expected · necessary · scheduled · formal · strict

Deriveds

casualize · noncasual · casualisation · casual sex · fine casual · casualness · casual gaming · overcasual · ultracasual · casual ward · casual Friday · fast casual · casualization · casualwear · semicasual · casualist · business casual · casual alien · hypercasual · decasualize · filthy casual · casually · smart casual · casualty · casual water · casualism · uncasual

Synonyms

untroubled · accidental · chanceable · undisturbed · unplanned · careless · pococurante · ad hoc · tranquil · unexpected · occasional · fortuitous · unplanned · nonchalant · relaxed · insouciant · offhand · at ease · unruffled · accidentary · by accident · accidental · unworried · easy-breezy · occasional · impromptu · loose · extemporaneous · spur-of-the-moment · extemporal · easygoing · extempore · colloquial · off-the-cuff · at peace · lippening · gash · leisurely · airy · offhand · adventitious · random · serene · informal · causeless · serendipitous · casual · random · extemporized · solute · incidental · improviso · chill · laid-back · easygoing · unbothered · extemporary · unanxious · cas · mellow · incidental · ad lib · unforeseen · unconcerned · lighthearted · improvised · casual · unintended · wanton · fortuitous · by the by · devil-may-care · carefree · unintentional · happy-go-lucky · cool · indifferent · unconcerned

Translations (146)

pl codzienny (designed for informal or everyday use) · ru непара́дный (designed for informal or everyday use) · de ungezwungen (informal, relaxed) · ga fánach (happening or coming to pass without design) · fr sport (designed for informal or everyday use) · ru непреднаме́ренный (happening or coming to pass without design) · el απρόβλεπτος (happening or coming to pass without design) · el τυχαίος (happening by chance) · no tilfeldig (happening by chance) · ga nádúrtha (informal, relaxed) · hu véletlen (happening by chance) · it casual (designed for informal or everyday use) · es desembarazado (informal, relaxed) · fr occasionnel (coming without regularity; occasional or incidental) · fi huoleton (careless) · bg инцидентен (coming without regularity; occasional or incidental) · fi harkitsematon (happening or coming to pass without design) · ga ócáideach (employed irregularly) · cs občasný (coming without regularity; occasional or incidental) · fr accidentel (happening by chance) · pt casual (informal, relaxed) · pl sezonowy (employed irregularly) · pl casualowy (designed for informal or everyday use) · de leger (designed for informal or everyday use) · ga gan choinne (happening or coming to pass without design) · mi ōpaki (informal, relaxed) · ga neamhfhoirmeálta (informal, relaxed) · it occasionale (coming without regularity; occasional or incidental) · es casual (happening by chance) · bg случаен (coming without regularity; occasional or incidental) · ja 非正規雇用の (employed irregularly) · de zufällig (happening by chance) · pl przypadkowy (coming without regularity; occasional or incidental) · sv ledig (informal, relaxed) · bg неофициален (informal, relaxed) · es casual (designed for informal or everyday use) · mi hāramuramu (informal, relaxed) · ca casual (happening by chance) · fi satunnainen (employed irregularly) · de gleichgültig (careless) · es desenfadado (informal, relaxed) · ba осраҡлы (happening by chance) · ru непроизво́льный (happening or coming to pass without design) · fi rento (informal, relaxed) · bg непредвиден (happening or coming to pass without design) · pl casual (designed for informal or everyday use) · hu kényelmes (designed for informal or everyday use) · hu fesztelen (informal, relaxed) · tr tesadüfen (happening by chance) · it informale (informal, relaxed) · tr arasıra (employed irregularly) · it casuale (happening or coming to pass without design) · es deportivo (designed for informal or everyday use) · ja 思い掛けない (happening or coming to pass without design) · ru случа́йный (coming without regularity; occasional or incidental) · ka შემთხვევითი (happening by chance) · de informell (informal, relaxed) · fi satunnainen (coming without regularity; occasional or incidental) · fr fortuit (happening by chance) · fr de hasard (happening by chance) · pt ocasional (happening by chance) · ja 楽な (informal, relaxed) · ca ocasional (coming without regularity; occasional or incidental) · es distendido (informal, relaxed) · fi huoleton (informal, relaxed) · ga míchúramach (careless) · es malagana (careless) · da afslappet (informal, relaxed) · pt casual (coming without regularity; occasional or incidental) · mi hāramuramu (happening or coming to pass without design) · hu alkalmi (employed irregularly) · es (de) sport (designed for informal or everyday use) · mi kōhikohiko (employed irregularly) · ru неофициа́льный (informal, relaxed) · pl dorywczy (happening by chance) · ja 普段の (designed for informal or everyday use) · de gelegentlich (coming without regularity; occasional or incidental) · ga gan choinne (happening by chance) · nl achteloos (careless) · bg небрежен (careless) · el περιστασιακός (coming without regularity; occasional or incidental) · tr sportif (designed for informal or everyday use) · pt casual (happening by chance) · tr boşverci (careless) · es desenvuelto (informal, relaxed) · de sportlich (designed for informal or everyday use) · ga ócáideach (coming without regularity; occasional or incidental) · hu váratlan (happening or coming to pass without design) · de ungezwungen (designed for informal or everyday use) · ga réchúiseach (informal, relaxed) · ca informal (informal, relaxed) · ja 日用の (designed for informal or everyday use) · mi hāramuramu (coming without regularity; occasional or incidental) · mi hāpūpū (happening by chance) · hu alkalmi (coming without regularity; occasional or incidental) · pl niedbały (careless) · fr désinvolte (careless) · de leger (informal, relaxed) · cs náhodný (happening by chance) · it occasionale (happening by chance) · mi kōpeka (happening by chance) · ga fánach (employed irregularly) · tr şans eseri (happening by chance) · bg случаен (happening by chance) · ja 偶然の (happening by chance) · ca informal (designed for informal or everyday use) · fr décontracté (designed for informal or everyday use) · ru повседне́вный (designed for informal or everyday use) · pt casual (designed for informal or everyday use) · ja 普段の (informal, relaxed) · ga ar nós is cuma liom (careless) · ru небре́жный (careless) · es destensado (informal, relaxed) · fr informel (informal, relaxed) · tr rastgele (coming without regularity; occasional or incidental) · ga patuar (careless) · fi arki- (designed for informal or everyday use) · tr rahat (designed for informal or everyday use) · ga neamhfhoirmeálta (designed for informal or everyday use) · mi pakirara (careless) · de beiläufig (happening by chance) · pt fortuito (happening by chance) · pl doraźny (happening by chance) · hu közvetlen (informal, relaxed) · ja カジュアルな (informal, relaxed) · ru случа́йный (happening by chance) · ru вре́менный (employed irregularly) · ga sealadach (coming without regularity; occasional or incidental) · it noncurante (careless) · ru неформа́льный (informal, relaxed) · cs příležitostný (coming without regularity; occasional or incidental) · de unmethodisch (happening or coming to pass without design) · hu hétköznapi (designed for informal or everyday use) · de gelegentlich (employed irregularly) · fi odottamaton (happening or coming to pass without design) · it fortuito (happening or coming to pass without design) · ru сезо́нный (employed irregularly) · es casual (informal, relaxed) · hu lezser (designed for informal or everyday use) · ja 偶然の (coming without regularity; occasional or incidental) · fi satunnainen (happening by chance) · ga fánach (happening by chance) · gl casual (happening by chance) · ga neamhfhoirmiúil (designed for informal or everyday use) · hu nemtörődöm (careless) · es desparpajado (informal, relaxed)

casual en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /ˈkæʒwəl/ (General-American)
• /ˈkaʒjuːəl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈkaʒ(uː)əl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈkɛʒ(ʉː)əl/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/ (General-American)
• /ˈkazjuːəl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /-uːæl/ (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle French casuel, from Late Latin cāsuālis (“happening by chance”), from Latin cāsus (“event”) (English case), from cadere (“to fall”) (whence English cadence).

Meanings

1. (Australia, New-Zealand, UK) A worker who is only working for a company occasionally, not as its permanent employee.
2. A worker who is doing a particular type of job temporarily, not as a lifetime career.
   • Of the scavagers proper there are, as in all classes of unskilled labour, that is to say, of labour which requires no previous apprenticeship, and to which any one can “turn his hand” on an emergency, two distinct orders of workmen, “the regulars and casuals” to adopt the trade terms; that is to say, the labourers consist of those who have been many years at the trade, constantly employed at it, and those who have but recently taken to it as a means of obtaining a subsistence after their ordinary resources have failed. 1851, Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor, published 1861:
3. A soldier temporarily at a place of duty, usually en route to another place of duty.
4. (UK, historical) A member of a group of football hooligans who wear expensive designer clothing to avoid police attention; see casual (subculture).
   • At 15, he became a casual: one of the label-wearing, wedge-flicking, swaggering hooligan peacock boys who dominated the north-west when I was growing up. Casuals were working-class lads (called Perry boys in Manchester) who loved football, fighting and brilliant sportswear. 2019 September 14, Miranda Sawyer, “Mark Leckey: ‘There has to be a belief that art has this power, this charisma'”, in The Guardian:
5. (UK, historical) One who receives relief for a night in a parish to which he or she does not belong; a vagrant in the casual ward.
   • During the great prevalence of vagrancy, the cost of the sick was far greater than the expense of relief. In the quarter ending June 1848, no less than 322 casuals were under medical treatment, either in the workhouse of the Wandsworth and Clapham union or at the London Fever Hospital. 1851, Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor, published 1861:
6. (derogatory, informal) A player of casual games.
   • The devs dumbed the game down so the casuals could enjoy it.
7. (slang) A person whose engagement with media is relaxed or superficial.
   • Treating a gay relationship as a puzzle that must be pursued by the clever viewers and hidden from “casuals” until a narrative reveal at the eleventh hour seems antithetical to the idea of normalized representation that TJLCers claim as the main reason they want Johnlock to be canon, […] 2018, E. J. Nielsen, “The Gay Elephant Meta in the Room: Sherlock and the Johnlock Conspiracy”, in Joseph Brennan, editor, Queerbaiting and Fandom: Teasing Fans Through Homoerotic Possibilities, page 91:
   • Casuals outnumbered regulars in the art-house audience two to one. 1972, Lee C. Garrison, "The Needs of Motion Picture Audiences", California Management Review, Volume 15, Issue 2, Winter 1972, page 149
   • Most often, when a series is marketed toward casuals, the loyals feel that their interests and needs are not being met. 2010, Jennifer Gillan, Television and New Media: Must-Click TV, page 16:
8. (UK, dated) A tramp.
   • I was a boy in 1922 or 1923, when buses first started to run between the village and the town; there were tramps, casuals as they were called; the whole pattern of my boyhood was knit into a very loaded atmosphere of human character. 1983, Reg Butler, Reg Butler, London: Tate Gallery London, page 14:
9. (in-plural) Shoes suitable for everyday use, as opposed to more formal footwear.
   • Like his friends, he is wearing casuals, ideal for lounging around crypts. 1967, Kenneth Tynan, Tynan Right & Left: Plays, Films, People, Places and Events, New York, N.Y.: Atheneum, page 65:
   • In girls wearing casuals, ugly hypertrophied skin over the heels was frequently noted, probably due to the loose shoe moving as they walked. 1959, The Medical Officer, page 158:
   • He and I were wearing casuals[…] 1984, William Golding, The Paper Men, page 71:
   • Next spring you’ll see more women than ever wearing “casuals” and “flats,” the shoes with the wedge heels or no heels at all. 1948 December, “Shoes: Competition Is Back”, in Kiplinger Magazine, page 47, column 2:

Forms

Relateds

case · casualty

Synonyms

Perry boy · dresser

Translations (3)

hu alkalmi munkás (a worker who is only working for a company occasionally) · cs brigádník (a worker who is only working for a company occasionally) · es malagana (a person whose engagement with media is relaxed or superficial)