casualness
UK[ˈkæʒuəlnəs]US[ˈkæʒuəlnəs]
n
the quality of being relaxed and not seeming to be worried or anxious
n
the quality of being not formal or not suitable for a formal occasion
Morpheme Breakdown
casual
ness
casual
relaxed
ness
state or quality
Etymology
the word 'casualness' is a modern english formation that combines the adjective 'casual' with the native english suffix '-ness'. the adjective 'casual' entered english via old french from the latin casualis, meaning 'by chance', which itself derives from casus, the past participle of cadere (to fall). the original sense pertained to events occurring by chance or accident. over time, the meaning evolved to describe an attitude or appearance that is not planned, deliberate, or formal, hence 'relaxed' or 'offhand'. the suffix '-ness', of germanic origin, is then appended to form an abstract noun denoting the state or quality of possessing this relaxed, informal characteristic.
Analysis
Structure: casual (relaxed) + ness (state or quality)
casual: from latin casualis (by chance), from casus (fall, chance, event). functions as the adjective root meaning 'occurring by chance' or 'informal'.
ness: from old english -nes, a noun-forming suffix indicating a state, condition, or quality.
Examples
she answered with an air of studied casualness.
the casualness of his attire was inappropriate for the job interview.
i was struck by the general casualness of the meeting's proceedings.