Colloquial Meaning: Everyday Examples, Usage and Quiz

Colloquial (adjective). Colloquial describes language associated with informal conversation. A colloquial expression may sound natural among friends but be too informal for a particular report, application or academic essay.

Example: “Hang on a minute” is a colloquial way to ask someone to wait.

Pronunciation guide: kuh-LOH-kwee-uhl. Capital letters show the stressed syllable.

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Examples of colloquial language

• “Hang on a minute.” A more neutral alternative is “Please wait a moment.”
• “Grab a bite.” This means to get something to eat.
• “That’s a bit pricey.” A more neutral alternative is “That is rather expensive.”
• “I’m gonna call her.” The informal spelling gonna represents a spoken form of going to.

The right choice depends on the audience and purpose. Casual messages, dialogue and friendly conversation often welcome colloquial wording.

Use colloquial in a sentence

• The novel uses colloquial language in its conversations.
• “Kids” is a more colloquial word than “children” in many contexts.
• The editor replaced a colloquial expression with a more formal alternative.

Colloquial describes the style of the language. It does not mean the speaker lacks education or that the sentence must be grammatically wrong.

Colloquial, colloquialism and slang

Colloquial is an adjective: “a colloquial phrase.” Colloquialism is a noun for an informal expression: “The dialogue contains several colloquialisms.”

Slang overlaps with colloquial language, but often has a stronger connection to a particular group or social setting. Not every conversational expression is slang.

Regional vocabulary and accent are also different things. Spelling a pronunciation as “cawfee” illustrates an accent; it is not, by itself, a separate colloquial word for coffee.

Choosing a suitable level of formality

For an assessed essay, follow the assignment’s style requirements. For a friendly email, conversational wording may be appropriate. Contractions such as “I’m” appear in many kinds of writing; their presence alone does not make a text unsuitable.

When editing, ask who will read the sentence and what tone the situation needs. Changing the register should preserve the meaning.

Related forms and origin

Colloquially means “in everyday conversational usage.” Useful alternatives to the adjective include informal and conversational. Formal is a common contrast. The word traces to Latin roots associated with conversation.

Practise colloquial: three quick questions

Try each question before opening its answer. For the writing question, your own correct sentence is welcome.

Question 1

Which is more colloquial: A) “Let’s grab a bite” or B) “Let us have something to eat”?

Question 2

Complete: “The writer uses several ___.” Choose colloquial or colloquialisms.

Question 3

Rewrite “That hotel is a bit pricey” in a more formal style.

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Compare these words next: Concur meaning and practice and Chivalrous meaning and practice.

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Dictionary reference: Merriam-Webster: Colloquial. The examples and practice questions on this page are written for English Skill Studio.