English Reference
Adverb

casually

adv. manner
B1 Intermediate US /ˈkæʒəwəɫi/ UK /kˈæʒuːəli/ ca·su·al·ly

adv.in a relaxed way without much effort or planning. You use this when you are doing something for fun or wearing comfortable clothes rather than being serious or formal.

adv.in a relaxed, informal, or non-serious manner; without premeditation or significant commitment.


SIMPLE

They dressed casually for the weekend party.

CONTEXTUAL

She mentioned the news casually during lunch, as if it weren't a big deal at all.

COMPLEX

The witness claimed to have seen the suspect walking casually toward the station, showing no signs of the urgency one might expect from someone fleeing a crime scene.

Usage

Typically follows the verb it modifies or appears at the end of the clause.

Pitfall
He was casual dressed.He was casually dressed.

Learners often use the adjective form 'casual' instead of the adverb 'casually' to modify a participle or verb.


From Middle English casually, casuelly, casuali, casuely, equivalent to casual + -ly.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Middle English casually
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated