Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Characteristic of or appropriate to the spoken language or to writing that seeks the effect of speech; informal.
- adj. Relating to conversation; conversational.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Pertaining to conversation; conversational.
- Peculiar or appropriate to the language of common or familiar conversation; belonging to ordinary, every-day speech: often especially applied to common words and phrases which are not admissible in elegant or formal speech.
Wiktionary
- adj. Denoting a manner of speaking or writing that is characteristic of familiar conversation; informal.
- adj. Of or pertaining to a conversation; conversational or chatty.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Pertaining to, or used in, conversation, esp. common and familiar conversation; conversational; hence, unstudied; informal.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. characteristic of informal spoken language or conversation
Etymologies
- From colloquy.
Examples
“But once it was realized that both speech and writing contained both formal and informal varieties, the term colloquial was not so effective, because it lacks an antonym apart from non-colloquial, and the like.”
“Although reverting to the colloquial is accepted when one wishes to avoid any confusion as to characterization. datingjesus”
“Johnson scorned what he called colloquial barbarisms.”
Life Of Johnson
“We know how much this popular influence, or what I call the colloquial process, has infected the traditions of other nations, and it is very helpful to know this, in order to do justice to the Gospels.”
“People that are not really fluent in colloquial Spanish believe it is an innocuous word.”
“The word colloquial seemed to puzzle Singh, who remained silent, and”
“Ripton came on the unerring fist again and again; and if it was true, as he said in short colloquial gasps, that he required as much beating as an egg to be beaten thoroughly, a fortunate interruption alone saved our friend from resembling that substance.”
“(in formal contexts) bearing the Colloquial label, the word colloquial began to undergo pejoration itself.”
“LAMB: The most colloquial -- in other words, the most conversational, the least formal?”
“He was after all a German émigré, whose command of English was no doubt shaky, particularly of the kind of colloquial idiom necessary to understand comedy in any medium.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘colloquial’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4084 more...
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The weird, the wonderful and the plain hilarious
Loved for their ingenuity, an exact description, or simply for the pure joy of it.
acidulous, aprosdoketon, higgledy-piggledy, lexicographical, ninja, audacious, somnabulist, shivaree, amorphous, quidnunc, glib, melancholy and 353 more...
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Words build meanings from origins( etymology )
These come from gamma meditation ,I think.
discursive, exogenous, machinations, purportedly, sumptuous, congruity, cantankerous, incongruous, festoon, hessian, ratiocinative, stratigraphic and 837 more...
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February 2012
filiopietistic, bifurcate, enclave, wedlock, decadent, unduly, defunct, lapel, tumescent, capitulation, leaden, scintilla and 83 more...
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September Words-11337
During the month of September, post at least 10 new words to this list. Make sure you cite where you read the word (book/author/pg) and quote the context/sentence where you found it. If someone has...
flabbergasted, discombobulated, inclination, serendipity, savvy, profound, incarnation, myriad, confiscate, audacity, deciduous, adieu and 79 more...
Kristianto2010 The scientific names of mushrooms are often used, as they give rise to less confusion than colloquial names (nama sehari-hari). Jan 24, 2011
dgstone This word is pleasing to the eyes but its rhythm is a little strange for my ears. Mar 13, 2008