An excert from here:

Slacks implies pants of certain materials which are not part of a suit (jeans are not slacks, and you would not refer to the pair of trousers that came with a suit as "slacks".) It is also more common to use "slacks" to refer to pants worn by women, while men would wear "trousers". Meanwhile, "pants" could refer to slacks, or trousers, or jeans, or just about any form of two-legged outer garment for the lower body.

Note that in AE, "pants" by itself is never understood to mean underwear of any kind, and must be altered in some form (either as "underpants" or as "panties") to have that meaning.

Bill: What's this I hear that the boss walked into your office while you were changing your clothes and caught you in your underwear? Tom: No, but she nearly caught me in my underwear; luckily, I had just put my pants on.

This is an AE perspective but, I would say that trousers and pants are synonyms. With both being any outer garment that covers both legs separately and goes from waist to ankles. Technically slacks is also a synonym, but the informal definition I most frequently hear is that slacks = dress pants. I.E. Pants that you might wear if you were trying to look nice.

Answer from Daniel on Stack Exchange
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Black Lapel
blacklapel.com › blogs › the-compass › slacks-vs-dress-pants
Slacks vs Dress Pants vs Trousers: What's the Difference? – Black Lapel
September 24, 2024 - It comes from an old Saxon term (‘slak’) used to describe things that were not tight, such as the loose end of a rope or a sail. ‘Slak’ is exactly what menswear ‘slacks’ really are: pants that are not too tight.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/malefashionadvice › eli5: differences between dress pants, trousers, slacks and chinos?
r/malefashionadvice on Reddit: ELI5: Differences between dress pants, trousers, slacks and chinos?
November 27, 2017 - Trousers usually refer to the pants that go to a suit. So they will be of the same fabric as the suit and have similar details to dress pants. Slacks more often refers to women's pants but it depends on the context.
Discussions

american english - Difference between "slacks", "pants", and "trousers"? - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
I wonder what differences are between usage of slacks, pants, and trousers? Their meanings seem the same by looking up Google’s Internet dictionary and Wikipedia. More on english.stackexchange.com
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What is the difference between slacks pants and trousers ?
Synonym for slacks pants In the US, we use the word pants to represent the entire category. We rarely use the word trousers unless we are talking about the past. As the previous user mentioned, slacks are a more casual type of pants. Be careful who you are talking to. More on hinative.com
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4
February 1, 2020
What is the difference between Trousers and slacks and pants ?
Synonym for Trousers In American English ... Pants are what you wear over your hips and legs. You wear underwear under your pants. ("Slacks" is an old-fashioned word for pants.) In British English ... Trousers are what you wear over your hips and legs. You wear pants under your trousers.|Trousers ... More on hinative.com
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3
April 1, 2020
ELI5: Differences between dress pants, trousers, slacks and chinos?
slacks = trousers = dress pants (not fully though) all generally have a crease with them and are generally made of wool (cotton/linen/etc exist) imo, dress pants are sold seperately, whereas trousers are a part of a suit. chinos are pants that are cotton, twill weave More on reddit.com
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November 27, 2017
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Hockerty
hockerty.com › en-us › blog › slacks-vs-dress-pants
Slacks vs Dress Pants - Is it the same? - Hockerty
November 4, 2024 - Let's answer the main question in the clearest and easiest way possible: Are slacks and dress pants the same? Yes, they are. Slacks and dress pants are the same. The term slacks and what we call dress pants are mentioning the same garment.
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StudioSuits
studiosuits.com › blogs › articles › slacks-vs-dress-pants-whats-the-difference
Slacks vs Dress Pants: What's the Difference? – StudioSuits
May 3, 2021 - This loose-fitted construction is a defining characteristic of slacks. Dress pants, on the other hand, encompass a variety of types of formal and semi-formal men's dress pants. They are known as "dress pants" because they are used for "dressing up." If you're trying to create a formal or semi-formal outfit, you'll need to wear dress pants.
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SuitShop
suitshop.com › blogs › news › slacks-vs-dress-pants
Slacks vs. Dress Pants: What’s the Difference? | SuitShop
April 23, 2024 - Slacks offer a more relaxed silhouette and are crafted from materials like wool blends or flannel, making them versatile for both casual and semi-formal occasions. Dress pants typically feature a more structured construction and tailored fit, ...
Find elsewhere
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Oliver Wicks
oliverwicks.com › article › what-are-slacks
When Pants Aren't Just Pants: What Are Men's Slacks ...
November 22, 2021 - Still, others argue that “slacks” was only used as a fashion term once women’s suits and pants became a thing. It was used to denote women’s nonsuit pants vs. the “pantsuit,” which was just a suit for women but with a pair of pants and jacket.
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Muffynn
muffynn.com › home › muffynn blogs › trousers vs pants: which one to wear? | muffynn
Trousers vs Pants: Which One to Wear? | Muffynn
April 25, 2025 - While they are similar, slacks generally refer to relaxed-fit trousers made from lightweight materials. They are often used interchangeably with dress pants but are less structured than tailored trousers.
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The Tie Bar
thetiebar.com › blogs › news › slacks-vs-dress-pants-key-differences-explained
Slacks vs Dress Pants: Key Differences Explained | The Tie Bar
July 17, 2025 - Slacks, a standard of men’s fashion, are pants tailored with a looser fit. The legs of slacks are cut straight and sometimes are slightly tapered at the ankle. The relaxed fit design results in a more simple and straightforward pant.
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My Suit Tailor
mysuittailor.com › blogs › grooming-blog › the-difference-between-slacks-and-dress-pants-a-complete-guide-for-men
The Difference Between Slacks and Dress Pants: A Complete Guide for Me – My Suit Tailor
October 29, 2025 - "Slack" is the term used in the modern day that has its origin in the Old English word "slack," which translates to loose. Just as the name suggests, slacks are usually looser in fit than traditional dress pants.
Top answer
1 of 12
17

An excert from here:

Slacks implies pants of certain materials which are not part of a suit (jeans are not slacks, and you would not refer to the pair of trousers that came with a suit as "slacks".) It is also more common to use "slacks" to refer to pants worn by women, while men would wear "trousers". Meanwhile, "pants" could refer to slacks, or trousers, or jeans, or just about any form of two-legged outer garment for the lower body.

Note that in AE, "pants" by itself is never understood to mean underwear of any kind, and must be altered in some form (either as "underpants" or as "panties") to have that meaning.

Bill: What's this I hear that the boss walked into your office while you were changing your clothes and caught you in your underwear? Tom: No, but she nearly caught me in my underwear; luckily, I had just put my pants on.

This is an AE perspective but, I would say that trousers and pants are synonyms. With both being any outer garment that covers both legs separately and goes from waist to ankles. Technically slacks is also a synonym, but the informal definition I most frequently hear is that slacks = dress pants. I.E. Pants that you might wear if you were trying to look nice.

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14

I know the question is tagged AmE - but that wasn't in the original, and hasn't (yet) been confirmed by OP, so I don't see anything wrong with answering from a BrE perspective.

In the UK, pants almost always means underpants. And as OED says, slacks are loosely-cut trousers for informal wear, esp. those worn by women.

I think for many Americans, pants and trousers are effectively synonyms. But so far as I'm aware, "esp. those worn by women" tends to apply to slacks on both sides of the Atlantic.

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Dhgate
smart.dhgate.com › home › casual slacks vs dress pants: are dress pants really dressier, or is it a myth?
Casual slacks vs dress pants: are dress pants really dressier, or is it a myth? - Smart.DHgate – Trusted Buying Guides for Global Shoppers
Casual pants vs dress pants really comes down to purpose and vibe—dress pants carry that polished, intentional sharpness while casual slacks lean into relaxed
Published   September 20, 2025
Views   8K
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Quora
quora.com › Whats-the-difference-between-slacks-trousers-and-pants
What's the difference between slacks, trousers and pants? - Quora
Answer (1 of 8): In North America: Trousers generally referred to as men's pants but an older term and still used by tailors and thought of as the pants to a man's suit and sometimes refered to as a man's dress pant. Pants is now a unisex term and general term for anything that is not jeans and ...
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Twillory
twillory.com › blogs › blog › is-there-a-difference-between-slacks-and-dress-pants
Is There a Difference Between Slacks and Dress Pants? – Twillory
September 28, 2020 - Wool pants were extremely hot, whether you wore loose slacks that allowed better airflow or tighter-fitting pants. Modern pants replace the need for loose slacks by enabling great airflow and coolness in form-fitting pants. Non-iron.
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Quora
quora.com › Can-you-explain-the-differences-between-mens-dress-pants-slacks-chinos-jeans-and-dress-trousers
Can you explain the differences between men's dress pants, slacks, chinos, jeans, and dress trousers? - Quora
Dress trousers are formal, tailored in a luxury fabric, often with a silk covered seam and with a sharp crease. Slacks are loose trousers with a slack, non tailored, cut - often made...
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Nimble Made
nimble-made.com › blogs › news › what-are-slacks
What are Slacks & How They Differ From Dress Pants - Nimble Made
April 12, 2023 - Slacks, typically lightweight pants with a relaxed fit, have a long history in men's fashion. Slacks are a type of pants that are typically made from lightweight fabrics and have a more relaxed fit than men's dress pants.
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Paulbrownengland
paulbrownengland.com › blog › what-are-slacks
What Are Slacks | Pants, Chinos & Slacks
When we say slacks, we're referring to trousers that are tailored with a focus on both comfort and style. They are characterised by a more relaxed fit compared to dress pants, offering a balance between sophistication and ease of movement. The term "slacks" often implies a certain degree of ...
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Alberto-pants-USA
alberto-pants-usa.com › blogs › news › slacks-vs-dress-pants-what-is-the-difference
Slacks vs Dress Pants: What Is the Difference? – Alberto-pants-USA
May 27, 2025 - As the name suggests, we call them slacks because they give us a little slack, meaning they’re somewhat loose. People enjoy wearing slacks because they offer ease of movement and an element of informal appeal while still looking composed and put-together. Dress pants are structured trousers that use materials like worsted wool or polyester blends.
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Trousers
Trousers - Wikipedia
3 weeks ago - In North America, Australia and South Africa, pants is the general category term, whereas trousers (sometimes slacks in Australia and North America) often refers more specifically to tailored garments with a waistband, belt-loops, and a fly-front.