Meanings
superlative most colloquial
- colloquialcomparativehuman sciencesCharacteristic of familiar conversation, of common parlance; informal.
The colloquial, and at times sarcastic, tone of her books makes her popular with teenagers.
2 more examples
You're using too many colloquial words in this cover letter: I suggest changing "I picked up loads of cool skills" to "I acquired many positive abilities"
If you know what it means to be a “fidlet” going for a “jolly” in your “doo”, then you are part of an exclusive club that speaks colloquial Antarctic English.
2024 June 20, Eva Corlett, “Fidlets, fingies and riding a doo: study sheds light on Antarctic English slang”, in The Guardian - colloquialcomparativeOf or pertaining to a conversation; conversational or chatty.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivecharacteristic of informal spoken language or conversation
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
- Proto-Italic*kom
- Proto-Italic*kom-
- Latincon-
- Proto-Indo-European*telkʷ-
- Proto-Indo-European*tlokʷetor
- Proto-Italic*tlokʷōr
- Latinloquor
- Latincolloquor
- Latincolloquium
- Middle Englishcolloquies
- Englishcolloquy
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
- Englishcolloquial
1751, from earlier term colloquy (“a conversation”), from Latin colloquium (“conference, conversation”), from con- (“together”) + loquor (“to speak”), + -al.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek λεκτικός
- λεκτικός (lektikós)of oral communication language
Arabic عَامِّيّ, دَارِج
- عَامِّيّ (ʕāmmiyy)of oral communication language
- دَارِج (dārij)of oral communication language
Bulgarian разгово́рен
- разгово́рен (razgovóren)of oral communication language
Catalan col·loquial
- col·loquialof oral communication language
Chinese Mandarin 口語 /口语
- 口語 /口语 (kǒuyǔ)of oral communication language
Czech hovorový
- hovorovýof oral communication language
Danish dagligsprogs-
- dagligsprogs-of oral communication language
Dutch informeel, spreektalig
- informeelof oral communication language
- spreektaligof oral communication language
- gemeenzaamof oral communication language
- in de volksmondof oral communication language
Esperanto vulgara
- vulgaraof oral communication language
Estonian kõnekeelne, argikeelne
- kõnekeelneof oral communication language
- argikeelneof oral communication language
Finnish puhekielinen
- puhekielinenof oral communication language
French familier, informel
- familierof oral communication language
- informelof oral communication language
German umgangssprachlich, Umgangs-
- umgangssprachlichof oral communication language
- Umgangs-of oral communication language
Greek κοινολεκτικός, δημώδης
- κοινολεκτικός (koinolektikós)of oral communication language
- δημώδης (dimódis)of oral communication language
- καθομιλούμενος (kathomiloúmenos)of oral communication language
Hungarian köznyelvi, társalgási
- köznyelviof oral communication language
- társalgásiof oral communication language
- kötetlenof oral communication language
- fesztelenof oral communication language
- hétköznapiof oral communication language
Irish comhráiteach
- comhráiteachof oral communication language
Italian colloquiale, familiare
- colloquialeof oral communication language
- familiareof oral communication language
Japanese 口語体, 話し言葉の
- 口語体 (kōgotai)of oral communication language
- 話し言葉の (hanashikotoba no)of oral communication language
- 口語の (kōgo no)of oral communication language
Korean 구어(口語)의, 구어체(口語體)의
- 구어(口語)의 (gueo-ui)of oral communication language
- 구어체(口語體)의 (gueoche-ui)of oral communication language
Norwegian hverdagslig
- hverdagsligof oral communication language
Persian عامیانه
- عامیانه ('âmmiyâne)of oral communication language
Polish kolokwialny, potoczny
- kolokwialnyof oral communication language
- potocznyof oral communication language
- obiegowyof oral communication language
- swobodnyof oral communication language
Portuguese coloquial
- coloquialof oral communication language
Romanian colocvial, familiar
- colocvialof oral communication language
- familiarof oral communication language
Russian разгово́рный, неформа́льный
- разгово́рный (razgovórnyj)of oral communication language
- неформа́льный (neformálʹnyj)of oral communication language
- нелитерату́рный (neliteratúrnyj)of oral communication language
Slovak hovorový
- hovorovýof oral communication language
Spanish coloquial, familiar
- coloquialof oral communication language
- familiarof oral communication language
Swedish vardaglig
- vardagligof oral communication language
Tagalog kolokyal
- kolokyalof oral communication language
Thai ภาษาปาก, ซึ่งปาก
- ภาษาปาก (paa-sǎa-bpàak)of oral communication language
- ซึ่งปากof oral communication language
Ukrainian розмо́вний, просторі́чний
- розмо́вний (rozmóvnyj)of oral communication language
- просторі́чний (prostoríčnyj)of oral communication language
Vietnamese thông tục, bình dân
- thông tụcof oral communication language
- bình dânof oral communication language
Cite this entry
colloquial. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/colloquial
“colloquial.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/colloquial. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “colloquial,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/colloquial.
Source: colloquial on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.