English Explanatory Dictionary

colloquial

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Characteristic of familiar conversation, of common parlance; informal.
  2. Of or pertaining to a conversation; conversational or chatty.
noun
  1. A colloquial word or phrase, colloquialism.

Pronunciation

/kəˈləʊ.kwɪəl/ /kəˈloʊ.kwi.əl/ En-ca-colloquial.oga

Word forms

colloquial most colloquial colloquials

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Latin con- Latin loquor Latin colloquor Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -ium Latin colloquiumder. Middle English colloquies English colloquy Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle English -al English -al English colloquial 1751, from earlier term colloquy (“a conversation”), from Latin colloquium (“conference, conversation”), from con- (“together”) + loquor (“to speak”), + -al.

Synonyms

casual colloq. coll.

Antonyms

formal professional literary bookish

Related words

colloquium colloquy argot slang vernacular colloquialism

Derived words

colloquialese colloquialisation colloquialise colloquialism colloquialist colloquiality colloquialize colloquially colloquialness pseudo-colloquial pseudocolloquial semicolloquial uncolloquial
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