Skip to content
ontologydriven
Sign out

Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

chalant en · ADJ

Pronunciation

  • (US) audio
  • /ʃəˈlɑnt/ (US)

Etymology

A back-formation from nonchalant, itself from Old French non- + chalant (“concerning, bothering”). By this process, the original Old French participle was coincidentally re-formed.

Meanings

  1. (humorous, nonce-word) Not nonchalant; careful, attentive, or concerned.
    • Nonchalant putts count the same as chalant putts. 2008, Golf Jokes and Anecdotes from Around the World, page 28:
    • Lawrence Lipton responded, "The lady is quite right, of course. It's sinful to be nonchalant. We shall endeavor to be more chalant in the future." 2011, Sarah Schrank, Art and the City:
    • 'I draw the line at nonchalant. Sometimes I think you're very chalant.' 2001, Gill Sanderson, A Full Recovery, page 20:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
more chalant Degree=Cmp lexicographic
most chalant Degree=Sup lexicographic

Deriveds

chalantly