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😌 Casual or relaxed 📚 Learning outside school
non-formal

non-formal

3.8
Casual and relaxed in style, not official or strict
  • adjective
  • /nɒnˈfɔːrməl/
  • Informal
translation icon : informal
  • During the non-formal meeting, team members shared ideas without the usual pressure of a formal agenda.

Examples

  • The party had a non-formal atmosphere, where everyone felt free to express themselves.

  • She decided to write a non-formal letter to her friend, sharing her thoughts in a relaxed tone.

  • And so that makes it, you know, very enjoyable as well Mach Schaller's formalism and ethics and non formal ethics of values and see how thick this book is.

Synonyms

casual
vsnon-formal
194 2.8

Informal and relaxed, not serious

is relaxed and not official but does not mean careless or thoughtless
informal
vsnon-formal
98 3.1

Not formal or official, relaxed and casual

is a hyphenated or marked form used less often in everyday speech
unstuffy
vsnon-formal
  • Informal
4.3

Casual and friendly so people feel comfortable

is plain casualness lacking official rules rather than a playful tone

Antonyms

official
∞ 2.3

Approved by a person or group in charge

formal
  • Formal
394 3.0

Official and proper in a way suitable for important occasions

How Formal

official
∞ 2.3
formal
  • Formal
394 3.0
non-formal
  • Informal
3.8
casual
194 2.8

Surface Forms

non-formal positive

Morphology

non-formal = formal (transparent) = non + formal

The prefix 'non-' clearly negates the meaning of 'formal', making the word's meaning straightforward.

Etymology

Non-formal comes from the prefix non- meaning 'not' and formal meaning 'official' or 'following rules', so it describes something casual, relaxed, or not strictly organized.