A course of modern english lexicology

CONTRACT a formal agreement between two or more parties or a document that states the terms of such an agreement; synonyms : agreement, treaty, convention

2. STYLISTICALLY-COLOURED WORDS

Stylistically-coloured words can be subdivided into two groups: super-neutral and sub-neutral.
Super-neutral words are appropriate in formal situations. The words of formal style fall into 3 groups:
1. Learned words
These words are associated with printed page. They are also called “bookish”. They can be subdivided into:
• scientific prose words – dry, matter-of-fact flavour words;
• “officialese” – official bureaucratic words;
• literary words – lofty words used in descriptive passages of fiction;
• modes of poetic diction – high-flown words used in poetry.
2. Archaisms
These words are old and are not used in modern English. They are subdivided into:
• obsolete words – very rare, cannot be understood without special explanation;
• archaisms proper – can be understood because they were used in the XIXth century;
• historical words – denote objects or phenomena which have disappeared.
3. Professional Terminology
They are words and phrases used by professional groups of people.
Sub-neutral words are appropriate in the immediate circle: family, relatives, or friends. The words of informal style fall into 3 groups:
1. Colloquial words
Colloquial words can be subdivided into:
• literary colloquial – words used by everybody;
• familiar colloquial – words used mostly by the young and semi-educated;
• low colloquial – rough and coarse words used by the illiterate.
2. Slang
There is no exact definition of slangy words; slang is everything that is not included into the textbooks.