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
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
21 September 2024
CONFORMITY
(noun) acting according to certain accepted standards; “their financial statements are in conformity with generally accepted accounting practices”
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