From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcasualcas‧u‧al /ˈkæʒuəl/ ●●○ adjective 1 relaxedDON'T CARE relaxed and not worried, or seeming not to care about something a casual manner His eyes were angry, though he sounded casual. Marsha was quite casual about appearing on TV. She had a casual attitude to life.2 not formalDCC not formal or not for a formal situation OPP formal Jean felt more comfortable in casual clothes. a casual jacket3 workBEC employed as a temporary worker or working for only a short period of time casual labour staff employed on a casual basis Chris has occasional casual work but mostly he is unemployed.4 relationshipSYSEX/HAVE SEX WITH knowing someone or having sex with someone without wanting a close relationship with them OPP serious She will never be more than a casual acquaintance. They had been conducting a casual affair for years. John just wanted casual sex.5 without attentionCARELESS without any serious interest or attention He gave us a casual glance as he walked by, but didn’t stop. To the casual observer (=to someone who is not looking carefully) Mary seemed quite calm.► see thesaurus at careless 6 not planned [only before noun]CHANCE/BY CHANCE happening by chance without being planned a casual conversation He made some casual remark (=one without thinking much about it) about her holiday.7 not regular [only before noun]SOMETIMES doing something or using something sometimes but not regularly or often SYN occasional a casual drug user The museum is of great interest, both to experts and to casual visitors. —casually adverb a casually dressed young man ‘Where do you work?’ she asked casually. He walked down the road, casually swinging his bag. —casualness noun [uncountable]
Examples from the Corpus
casual• As usual she was stunning, white linen jacket and trousers supremely casual and graceful.• He had a casual attitude toward studying and grades.• Nasal swabs or swabs taken directly from discharging abscesses can be cultured to confirm the presence of the casual bacteria.• Thompson's management style is casual but organized.• The kids were trying to act casual, but they were still a little dazed.• And these are more than the casual conclusions of two men.• a casual encounter• Wayne just took a casual glance at the newspaper.• She hurried into the room with no more than a casual glance in our direction.• Off steps a brusque and bristling figure, carrying a kitbag and casual in a crew-neck sweater.• Because of my Tokyo-bred punctuality, I could not get used to such a casual lifestyle.• Plaid curtains give the room a casual look.• Are shorts appropriate at a casual party?• It is one thing to shock a parent with casual profanity.• casual shoes• the casual use of marijuana• Casual users of the library may not realize that they now need a computerized ticket.• Charging an entry fee for museums will not affect the casual visitor very much.• Other more casual visitors could wander in out of curiosity where churches remained open.• Even casual visitors to the museum could save money with a membership card.casual clothes• Because his shoulders are narrow, he never works in his shirt sleeves, and is seldom seen publicly in casual clothes.• It was the foundation on which his whole image rested: the lack of pomposity, the charm, the casual clothes.• What struck me was the uncharacteristic sight of Victoria dressed in casual clothes.• Where was the man of the casual clothes and easy manner?• The man wore fitting and casual clothes and those of Holly were thin.• Why can female staff in Canterbury wear casual clothes but the men have to wear shirts and ties?• People in bright casual clothes sauntered about and lounged on the empty benches.• She saw him as soon as she started across the room towards the antique chest of drawers where her casual clothes were kept.on a casual basis• Gardeners and herders were mostly immune from controls on marketing since they marketed relatively little, often only on a casual basis.• Has an attempt been made to identify nurses in the local community who would be prepared to work on a casual basis?• Is there a small office you could rent on a casual basis?• Labourers were found in the docks, railways, factories and domestic spheres, many of them employed on a casual basis.• Staff employed on a casual basis are entitled to annual leave with pay at the rate of 22 days perannum.• Particularly significant, was the fact that most workers were employed on a casual basis in very small workshops.• Branches should try to compile and maintain a lists of people willing to help on a casual basis like this.• Your appointment on a casual basis will start on 1993 and will not in any circumstances extend beyond 1993.casual sex• I've only known you a few days Luke, and I don't go in for casual sex.• It wasn't difficult to pick up people for casual sex, but it was difficult to form any sort of relationship with someone.To the casual observer• To the casual observer , everything seemed normal.casual remark• Examples include money transfers, phone calls, letters and seemingly casual remarks.• Let him wonder if it was just a casual remark.• Pete made a casual remark about Jo's hair style, and she got really mad.• Jenny making casual remarks, causing fistfights.• But I've noticed that a certain amount of loot helps to invest even your most casual remarks with a certain significance.From Longman Business Dictionarycasualcas‧u‧al1 /ˈkæʒuəl/ adjective British EnglishJOB casual workers are employed only when they are needed, and are not in permanent or continuous employmentSYNTEMPORARYTraditionally, labour in the construction industry has been employed on a casual basis.The job was completed using casual labour.casualcasual2 noun [countable] British EnglishJOB a casual workerSYNTEMPThis latest recruitment drive is also aimed at casuals.Origin casual (1300-1400) Old French casuel, from Late Latin casualis, from Latin casus; → CASE1 