Formal and Informal

Formal

Formal adjective - Following or agreeing with established form, custom, or rules.
Usage example: a formal contract that was legally binding

Informal is an antonym for formal in topics: serious, stiff, established.

Informal

Informal adjective - Not rigidly following established form, custom, or rules.
Usage example: an informal meeting allowed everyone to get acquainted

Formal is an antonym for informal in topics: relaxed, casual.

Both words in one sentence

  • Picard will also switch off how he refers to the crew depending on whether it is a formal or informal situation.
  • The Boondock Saints: The brothers are extremely skilled at using firearms; but no mention is made of them having formal or informal military/firearms training.
  • The first thing we see is the protagonist's funeral (or possibly their death or formal or informal wake), and we will hear people talking about the kind of life they lived.
Cite this Source
Informal and Formal. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 07, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/formal/informal
Formal & Informal. N.p., 2016. Web. 07 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/formal/informal>.
Informal or Formal. 2016. Accessed August 07, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/formal/informal.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "formal" and "informal" have occurred on timeline