COLLOQUIAL

colloquial, conversational

(adjective) characteristic of informal spoken language or conversation; “wrote her letters in a colloquial style”; “the broken syntax and casual enunciation of conversational English”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Adjective

colloquial (comparative more colloquial, superlative most colloquial)

(linguistics) Denoting a manner of speaking or writing that is characteristic of familiar conversation, of common parlance; informal.

Of or pertaining to a conversation; conversational or chatty.

Usage notes

It is a common misconception that colloquial somehow denotes "local" or a word being "regional". This is not the case; the word root for colloquial is related to locution, not location.

Note that while colloquy and colloquium refer to formal conversation, colloquial refers instead specifically to informal conversation.

Synonyms

• colloq, coll.

Noun

colloquial (plural colloquials)

A colloquial word or phrase, colloquialism

Source: Wiktionary

Col*lo"qui*al, a. Etym: [See Colloqui.]

Definition: Pertaining to, or used in, conversation, esp. common and familiar conversation; conversational; hence, unstudied; informal; as, colloquial intercourse; colloquial phrases; a colloquial style.

– Col*lo"qui*al*ly, adv. His [Johnson's] colloquial talents were, indeed, of the highest order. Macaulay.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition