colloquial

adjective

col·lo·qui·al kə-ˈlō-kwē-əl

Synonyms of colloquial next

: used in or characteristic of familiar and informal conversation

In colloquial English, "kind of" is often used for "somewhat" or "rather."

also : unacceptably informal

: using conversational style

a colloquial writer

: of or relating to conversation : conversational

colloquial expressions

colloquial noun

colloquiality

kə-ˌlō-kwē-ˈa-lə-tē

noun

colloquially

kə-ˈlō-kwē-ə-lē

adverb

Did you know?

The noun colloquy was first used in English to refer to a conversation or dialogue, and when the adjective colloquial was formed from colloquy it had a similar focus. Over time, however, colloquial developed a more specific meaning related to language that is most suited to informal conversation—and it ultimately garnered an additional, disparaging implication of a style that seems too informal for a situation. Colloquy and colloquial trace back to the Latin verb colloqui, meaning "to converse." Colloqui in turn was formed by combining the prefix com- ("with") and loqui ("to speak"). Other conversational descendants of loqui in English include circumlocution, eloquent, loquacious, soliloquy, and ventriloquism.

Examples of colloquial in a Sentence

But I think part of this pickle that we're in—if I may be colloquial, even though I'm not running for office—is that we've lost their sense of responsibility. —

Sarah Vowell, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2008

Langston was the merriest and the most colloquial of them all. "Best party I've ever been given!" he said. —

Gwendolyn Brooks, Booklist, 15 Oct. 1993

Mr. Salisbury's firsthand account is written in a fast-paced, chaotic and colloquial style, which often feels confused and hastily set down. —

Susan Shapiro, New York Times Book Review, 10 Sept. 1989

Although in the circle of his friends, where he might be unreserved with safety, he took a free share in conversation, his colloquial talents were not above mediocrity, possessing neither copiousness of ideas, nor fluency of words. —

Thomas Jefferson, letter, 2 Jan. 1814

the new coworker's rudeness soon began—to use a colloquial expression—to rub me the wrong way a colloquial essay on what makes a marriage successful See More

Recent Examples on the Web Brother/sister The colloquial name that members of the same fraternity or sorority call each other. —

Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 17 Aug. 2023 Superfund is the colloquial name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980. —

Emma Penrod, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Aug. 2023 Nowadays, however, the four scientific parenting styles are often eclipsed by the more colloquial terms — a seemingly endless parade of new monikers coined by parents and experts. —

Elizabeth Chang, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2023 Photos: Now that the sun is out, time to enjoy the gift Mother Nature provided March 25, 2023 Some of these phenomenon are often also referred to as pineapple expresses, which experts called a more colloquial term for some atmospheric rivers that originate near the Hawaiian islands. —

Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2023 On sites like Poetry Life, his peers quarreled daily over matters like the possibilities of colloquial poetry writing. —

Han Zhang, New York Times, 3 Aug. 2023 The other is a colloquial Black American vernacular definition popularized by hip-hop culture that refers to a woman’s physical attractiveness, primarily curvy women. —

Rita Omokha, ELLE, 14 July 2023 The colloquial term refers to obsessive or intrusive thoughts about food, which can affect people’s everyday lives. —

Maggie O'Neill, Health, 3 July 2023 Shinola — which took its name from a defunct blue-collar shoe polish company known for the colloquial expression for a dimwit, not a trendsetter luxury — gets to associate its watches, or rather, timepieces, with a high-speed, high-life lifestyle. —

Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 2 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'colloquial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.