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Casual vs Unusual - What's the difference?

casual | unusual |

As adjectives the difference between casual and unusual

is that casual is happening by chance while unusual is unlike what is expected; differing in some way from the norm.

As a noun casual

is a worker who is only working for a company occasionally, not as its permanent employee.

casual

English

Alternative forms

* casuall (obsolete)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Happening by chance.
  • * (Washington Irving)
  • casual breaks, in the general system
  • Coming without regularity; occasional or incidental.
  • * (Nathaniel Hawthorne)
  • a constant habit, rather than a casual gesture
  • Employed irregularly.
  • * , chapter=17
  • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=This time was most dreadful for Lilian. Thrown on her own resources and almost penniless, she maintained herself and paid the rent of a wretched room near the hospital by working as a charwoman, sempstress, anything. In a moment she had dropped to the level of a casual labourer.}}
  • Careless.
  • * 2007 , Nick Holland, The Girl on the Bus (page 117)
  • I removed my jacket and threw it casually over the back of the settee.
  • Happening or coming to pass without design.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
  • , chapter=8 citation , passage=It was a casual sneer, obviously one of a long line. There was hatred behind it, but of a quiet, chronic type, nothing new or unduly virulent, and he was taken aback by the flicker of amazed incredulity that passed over the younger man's ravaged face.}}
  • Informal, relaxed.
  • Designed for informal or everyday use.
  • Derived terms

    * casually * casualization * smart casual

    Synonyms

    *(happening by chance) accidental, fortuitous, incidental, occasional *(happening or coming to pass without design) unexpected * informal

    Antonyms

    *(happening by chance) inevitable, necessary *(happening or coming to pass without design) expected, scheduled * ceremonial, formal

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (British, NZ) A worker who is only working for a company occasionally, not as its permanent employee.
  • A soldier temporarily at a place of duty, usually en route to another place of duty.
  • (UK) A member of a group of football hooligans who wear expensive designer clothing to avoid police attention; see .
  • One who receives relief for a night in a parish to which he does not belong; a vagrant.
  • A player of casual games.
  • References

    *

    Anagrams

    * ----

    unusual

    English

    Alternative forms

    * unusuall (obsolete)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Unlike what is expected; differing in some way from the norm.
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=2 , passage=I had occasion […] to make a somewhat long business trip to Chicago, and on my return […] I found Farrar awaiting me in the railway station. He smiled his wonted fraction by way of greeting, […], and finally leading me to his buggy, turned and drove out of town. I was completely mystified at such an unusual proceeding.}}
  • Not usual.
  • Synonyms

    * (different from the expected) abnormal, rare, strange, weird, (stronger) extraordinary ** See also

    Antonyms

    * (different from the expected) normal, usual