1Relaxed and unconcerned.

1. 1.1 Made or done without much thought or premeditation.
   a casual remark

   Example sentencesExamples

   • She was later shattered to learn from a casual remark at a lunch party of his death at Gallipoli.
   • Does a casual remark from a coworker stick in your memory?
   • This upset Scott who read more into the casual remark, but Jon tried to talk his friend out of any type of confrontation in the matter.
   • That seemingly casual remark inaugurated a six-week period during which I played the most consistently good golf I've ever played.
   • Her brother, in a casual remark, later refers to her torrid past.
   • I was certainly caught off guard by this casual remark, but after mulling over what he said I decided I was not in the least bit offended.
   • The hope is that great science can be facilitated by chance meetings on a staircase or casual observations and musing over a sandwich and a cup of coffee.
   • I do recall that a casual remark was made to the effect that my nose was similar to that of the deceased woman but had placed no particular significance on this.
   • The strip reads like a casual improvisation, though beyond the unbalanced setting, there isn't much invention on display.
   • It was an uninterrupted performance, of spoken thoughts woven with casual comments through which her life and her views would automatically emerge.
   • One cannot dismiss it as a casual remark from a man who spent two decades in this field of management.
   • ‘Oh that, it was just a casual remark,’ he said turning back to the road.
   • A casual remark Cook made on being asked about his feelings on arriving at the ‘North Pole’ seems to support this inference.
   • At that point and on your show I didn't know what that meant at all because it was such a casual offhand remark.
   • Even a casual remark about appearance, taken very seriously, can be a trigger in a person who has low self-esteem.
   • The extent to which young people can exploit this situation has meant that their most casual impulses carry more weight than they ever have before this time.
   • Those who have heard him play over the last year confirm that for all the hasty coronations, casual dismissals, breezy hype and sour grapes of the past, Smith is an artist just coming into his own.
   • I suspect they privately think his comments were ill-advised but were loath to lose a second top Senate leader over casual remarks in the space of six months.
   • But then in January 1998 came that casual conversation at the London gym that sent Morgan in a new direction.
   • Then they hear some remark, casual or otherwise, and the player ruins his or her style trying to be like somebody else.

   Synonyms

   offhand, random, impromptu, spontaneous, unpremeditated, unthinking, unstudied, unconsidered, parenthetical, passing, throwaway, trivial

   ill-considered, ill-judged, unguarded

   informal off-the-cuff
2. 1.2 Done or acting in a desultory way.
   to the casual observer, rugby looks something like football

   Example sentencesExamples

   • If the browsers at the museum appear transient, casual, and random, the art they come to see is still, exacting, and formal.
   • The movie assumes the audience knows Curtis and his world beforehand and doesn't convince the casual viewer he's worth caring about.
   • A casual observer may have merely thought the moment a little odd.
   • To the casual observer, the impression is almost ideal.
   • And to even the most casual observer, the conference delegates are clearly very well behaved and polite.
   • They just sat there like a couple of casual observers with no vested interest.
   • To the casual observer, the Eastern Catholic churches might appear indistinguishable from their Orthodox neighbours.
   • Even a casual reading would suffice to demonstrate that Ross's account is wholly unreliable.
   • I can understand why casual observers are sceptical.
   • To the casual observer, it probably doesn't make a lot of sense.
   • The commentators for the race managed to pitch their remarks at the precise level that bores both casual watchers and fans.
   • The casual observer might find such a slow-paced, drawnout pastime to be something of an anachronism in today's quick-fix high-paced world.
   • Indeed, to the casual viewer, nothing of consequence seems to happen.
   • Yet if 20: 20 cricket, as it is known, has brought in the casual fan, remarkably it has been the drawn-out five-day game that has them salivating.
   • From Tampa to Denver, there is enough intrigue to stoke the interest of even the most casual football fan.
   • The casual observer may be unable to tell them apart.
   • The careless, the casual, the thoughtless reader will come away from them no wiser than he was before.
   • ‘The old fool in love’ may seem ridiculous to the casual witness, but those in love simply don't care.
   • Even as a casual observer, I can tell that there's some real tension in the air rather than the usual feel-good vibe that comes out of the event.
   • We can thus accommodate more casual gamers who want to play on their own time and in short sessions.

   Synonyms

   cursory, perfunctory, superficial, passing, fleeting, summary, desultory, careless

   hasty, hurried, rushed, brief, quick
3. 1.3 Done or acting without sufficient care or thoroughness.
   the casual way in which victims were treated

   Example sentencesExamples

   • This probably explains the rather casual manner in which Gamelin delivered his instructions to Georges.
   • Even where an employer owes a non-delegable duty he is not liable for the collateral or casual negligence of an independent contractor.
   • I would be filled with rage at this casual disregard of my only child's suffering, if it weren't for the fact that it was pretty darn hilarious.
   • What kind of crimes will these kids be committing as they get older, if they have this casual disregard of life at such an early age?
   • A related objection can be made to the casual manner in which the evolutionary hypotheses are occasionally used.
   • I am saying, however, that we have been extraordinarily casual and slap-dash and we really do need to look at the situation from the ground up.
   • Former Senate majority leader George Mitchell, now the chairman of Disney's board, revealed the casual manner in which Ovitz was hired.
   • I believe that in any military action carried out by a government against a nation, a certain casual disregard for human life occurs.
   • But the casual disregard for the welfare of the poor is still very much a feature of life in the subcontinent.
   • The best it seems to me that you can put against Andar is that there was a casual act of negligence on the part of its employee in not inspecting this particular trolley.
   • When there's a rapport, architects can be somewhat casual about the process.
   • She also believed that a lot of speech, even on the radio, is too casual and slipshod.
   • When life and death are treated in such a casual manner, are we not breeding people who attach no value to human life, not even their own?
   • It's this built-in food supply that makes these types of plants more forgiving of casual care and attention.

   Synonyms

   indifferent, apathetic, uncaring, uninterested, unconcerned

   lackadaisical, blasé, nonchalant, lukewarm, insouciant, offhand, hit-or-miss

   easy-going, free and easy, airy, breezy, blithe, carefree

   flippant, lax, slack, irresponsible, devil-may-care

   informal couldn't-care-less, laid-back

   rare pococurante

2Not regular or permanent.

1. 2.1 Employed or established on a temporary or irregular basis.
   a casual worker

   casual jobs

   Example sentencesExamples

   • This site employs over 200 permanent and casual employees.
   • Unions are seeking significant changes to the way employers can use casual workers, labour hire or contracting out.
   • Last year the government reduced funding for a range of courses and restricted the hiring of casual teachers, forcing regular teachers to take larger classes.
   • They said they had a critical staff shortage and that casual labourers who had worked at the depot for years had still not been hired as full-time employees.
   • Some 20 casual workers are employed by the company to maintain a fleet of 2,000 hire bicycles.
   • The report finds that low paid mothers, many employed in casual or part-time jobs, are the least likely to have access to paid maternity leave.
   • The change will mean that the workers will be re-classified as casual employees, costing them their fixed salaries and retirement benefits.
   • The peak union body is demanding labour rights and improved benefits for irregular and casual workers in line with the regular workforce.
   • Second, there's not much impact on poverty if new jobs are casual, part-time and poorly paid.
   • Women are more likely to be employed in part-time or casual work and are less likely to hold management positions.
   • It pays four permanent staff and has a pool of casual workers on call.
   • There is not the usual amount of fish being landed to the factories, thus there is no necessity to employ the casual workers in the factories this year.
   • They were paid award wages, and were employed on a full-time, part-time, or casual basis.
   • The hoped-for post-war demand to replace ship losses did not fully materialise due to recession, and many jobs were casual.
   • Most of the dock workers were casual contractors.
   • The company employs 1,410 workers plus an additional 7,000 working as casual labourers.
   • By contrast, there has been a growth in predominantly casual and part-time jobs in services such as retail, tourism and hospitality.
   • The loss of a part-time job or a casual job can, to that person, be just as important as the loss of a full-time job.
   • Secondly, there is a total ban on the hiring of casual tutors and lecturers, and on the creation of short-term contracts to cover staffing shortages.
   • The most recent official figures show that 2.81 million people are employed on a part-time or casual basis.
   • Sometimes Janet also does odd jobs on a casual basis, ‘But mostly I live on loans,’ she says.
   • The government has also cancelled all leave in the health sector and announced that 700 casual employees have been recruited to replace the striking workers.
   • Sundari is not aware that her boss is breaking the law by employing her as a casual worker.
   • Many are unemployed or employed as casual workers with extremely low wages.
   • The company employs more than 3,000 casual workers who have between 10 to 15 years service.
   • She wants nothing more than a normal life with a proper home and a regular wage, and she is prepared to go to desperate lengths to try to keep the casual factory jobs she gets and loses on a regular basis.
   • The report estimates that Australia has the second-highest proportion of temporary or casual workers of any developed country, behind Spain.
   • However, up to now, insecure, temporary or casual jobs were strictly regulated and constituted a minority.
   • The company employs about 1,500 casual workers at peak season.
   • The management then employ casual workers to weigh it and pack it into bags.
   • The poorest schools are most affected because the state government no longer employs casual teachers centrally but requires schools to hire them out of their own budgets.
   • Many worked in low-paying temporary and casual jobs with extended hours.
   • Today journalists have to accept short-term, temporary and casual jobs in a market that is ferociously competitive.
   • The legislation will cover all employees including agency and casual workers and, in many cases, workers who are self-employed.
   • Despite receiving state benefits to help cover her living expenses, Alexandra has had to top-up her income with casual jobs throughout her studies.
   • He could not return to his casual post-retirement job as a security guard as a result, and his loss of income had a considerable impact on his family's finances.
   • Many of the call centre jobs will be casual or part-time, and all will be poorly paid.
   • They supported themselves by casual jobs in dressmaking, trade, or service until they married.
   • Many of those who found work were employed on a casual basis or in jobs that were ‘markedly poorer in almost all respects’.
   • The casual workers who are employed seasonally to harvest the peat are guaranteed 13 weeks pay but just now they are left in a very unfortunate position at the mercy of the weather.

   Synonyms

   temporary, part-time, impermanent, freelance
2. 2.2 (of a sexual relationship or encounter) occurring between people who are not regular or established sexual partners.
   they don't do one-night stands or casual flings

   Example sentencesExamples

   • I've never enjoyed casual relationships and it takes me forever to fall in love.
   • These casual relationships happen usually in the land of the young.
   • Many of these sexual partners were casual ones, though not necessarily commercial sex workers.
   • To this day most women are very selective about their sexual partners or at least make sure that casual sexual encounters have no lasting consequences.
   • Relationship type mattered with students saying that it is important to use condoms in a casual relationship, but less so in a steady relationship.
   • She was married three times and had numerous casual liaisons.
   • Staff believed her pregnancy was the result of a casual affair.
   • Some people are looking for a serious relationship, while some just want to chat, date or have casual relations.
   • Seven years ago, Ben had what he saw as a casual affair with a Dominican woman he didn't know all that well.
   • Young people perceive greater STD risk and greater intention to use condoms with casual than with main sex partners.
   • Participants' sexual relationships were mainly serially monogamous, with some women having sex with casual partners between relationships.
   • Although this doesn't necessarily mean there's no sense of responsibility or care, in a casual encounter you're more likely to focus on the here and now.
   • I'm sure you can understand why I'm not looking for a major commitment, but I'm also not after a casual fling.
   • There is much talk of a male pill being developed one day, but in casual encounters could the woman afford to take the risk of trusting her sexual partner to be honestly on it?
   • He had several casual relationships while he was away, and he still talks about those girls to me.
   • I don't think there is a difference between the way you start a casual relationship and the way you start what might be a serious relationship.

   Synonyms

   promiscuous, recreational, extramarital

   liberated, uninhibited, free

   informal swinging

3attributive Happening by chance; accidental.

4Without formality of style or manner, in particular (of clothing) suitable for everyday wear rather than formal occasions.

1A person who does something irregularly.

1. 1.1British A worker employed on an irregular or temporary basis.
   the business employs eight full-time sales staff and ten casuals

   Example sentencesExamples

   • The win comes as unions call for the focus of drinking to be on impairment, its occupational health and safety implications and its wider causes such as fatigue, overwork, and the use of casuals and outsourcing.
   • Over the past 12 months casuals have represented about 10% of the total operational cargo workforce.
   • The longest-serving casual at the recycling plant had been a delegate and safety committee secretary.
   • Regular casuals in pubs, hotels and casinos will be able to convert to permanency after 12 months, while power workers whose jobs were contracted have been re-employed by Integral Energy.
   • Today there are only about 30 workers - four permanent employees, who were retained when Cey-nor was transferred to North Sea in July 2001, and the remainder casuals.
   • The casuals are only paid 100 rupees a day.
   • Thousands of young retail workers, for example, continue to work as casuals, employed as little as 16 hours a week, frequently spread over broken shifts.
   • Since she wasn't there to supervise them and had casuals watching the class, the students just went crazy and didn't do anything.
   • There are people working on a regular roster, working 20 hours or more who are still seen as casuals.
   • Qantas has added the 106 short-haul casuals to a roster of management, ex-management and overseas-based non-union crew on standby to scab in the event of further industrial action.
   • The casuals have been employed at the hospital for more than seven years.
   • The casuals are employed to collect levies from the drivers of public minivans and city buses.
   • So we always look to re-deploy people or re-train them and the use of casuals is really about having flexibility to meet customer demand.
   • At present, childcare workers are employed as casuals.
   • Stephen Rolls was already working on the wharves as a casual with Patrick.
   • But this award has not prescribed ordinary hours for a casual.
   • I have had this job now for four months and I am a casual.
   • Cairns - an important tourism gateway - has only one fulltime airport and employs 11 casuals and 8 part-time workers.
   • But if the casuals are really mislabeled regular employees, they can appeal to the union for representation.
   • Women are employed as casuals so their employers can slide out of paying full entitlements such as maternity leave.

   Synonyms

   temporary worker, part-timer, freelance, freelancer

   informal temp
2. 1.2historical A person admitted to a workhouse for a short period.
   Example sentencesExamples

   • Vagrants, tramps and casuals were strictly separated from the resident pauper inmates housed in the gothic splendour of the Main Workhouse.
   • He has hit on a grand scheme, the purport of which is nothing less than to abolish workhouse casuals utterly.
   • Farm buildings were cleared out of muck and little piles were stacked in rows in the field to dry and then the casuals would spread it on the land.
   • The ruffian casual laughs at him, and sings funny and oftentimes libellous songs concerning him as he breaks stones or picks oakum.
   • They spent one night at the Workhouse as ‘casuals’, then continued on the next day to Ware.

2casualsBritish Clothes or shoes suitable for everyday wear rather than formal occasions.

3British A youth belonging to a subculture characterized by the wearing of expensive casual clothing and frequently associated with football hooliganism.