irregular

[ ih-reg-yuh-ler ]

/ ɪˈrɛg yə lər /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR irregular ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

without symmetry, even shape, formal arrangement, etc.: an irregular pattern.

not characterized by any fixed principle, method, continuity, or rate: irregular intervals.

not conforming to established rules, customs, etiquette, morality, etc.: highly irregular behavior.

not according to rule, or to the accepted principle, method, course, order, etc.

Grammar. not conforming to the prevalent pattern or patterns of formation, inflection, construction, etc., of a language; having a rule descriptive of a very small number of items: The English verbs “keep” and “see” are irregular in their inflections.

Military. (formerly, of troops) not belonging to an organized group of the established forces.

flawed, damaged, or failing to meet a specific standard of manufacture: a sale of irregular shirts.

Botany.

not uniform.
(of a flower) having the members of some or all of its floral circles or whorls differing from one another in size or shape, or extent of union.

deviating or experiencing deviations from a normally regular or cyclic body function, as bowel habits or menstruation.

(of a stock or commodity market) of mixed market activity; showing no clear up or down trend.

noun

a person or thing that is irregular.

Commerce. a product or material that does not meet specifications or standards of the manufacturer, as one having imperfections in its pattern.

Military. a soldier or combatant not of a regular military force, as a guerrilla or partisan.

Origin of irregular

1350–1400; < Late Latin irrēgulāris (see ir-², regular); replacing Middle English irreguler < Middle French

SYNONYMS FOR irregular

1 unsymmetrical, uneven.

2 unmethodical, unsystematic; disorderly, capricious, erratic, eccentric, lawless.

4 anomalous, unusual. Irregular, abnormal, exceptional imply a deviation from the regular, the normal, the ordinary, or the usual. Irregular, not according to rule, refers to any deviation, as in form, arrangement, action, and the like; it may imply such deviation as a mere fact, or as regrettable, or even censurable. Abnormal means a deviation from the common rule, often implying that this results in an aberrant or regrettably strange form or nature of a thing: abnormal lack of emotion; A two-headed calf is abnormal. Exceptional means out of the ordinary or unusual; it may refer merely to the rarity of occurrence, or to the superiority of quality: an exceptional case; an exceptional mind. Because of the stigma of abnormal, exceptional is today frequently substituted for it in contexts where such a euphemism may be thought to be appropriate: a school for exceptional children (children who are abnormal in behavior, mental capacity, or the like).

SEE SYNONYMS FOR irregular ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM irregular

ir·reg·u·lar·ly, adverb qua·si-ir·reg·u·lar, adjective qua·si-ir·reg·u·lar·ly, adverb

Words nearby irregular

irrefragable, irrefrangible, irrefutable, irreg., irregardless, irregular, irregular astigmatism, irregular bone, irregular dentin, irregular flower, irregular galaxy

Example sentences from the Web for irregular

Iraq may have been an irregular fight, but it had major moments.

Pentagon Doesn’t Know How Many People It’s Killed in the ISIS War |Nancy A. Youssef |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Maybe Mimas is solid, but its core is irregular, like the shape of many asteroids.

Saturn’s Death Star Look-Alike |Matthew R. Francis |October 19, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Objects more massive than a certain amount are more spherical than not, while punier specimens are lumpy and irregular.

Saturn’s Death Star Look-Alike |Matthew R. Francis |October 19, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
For instance, in active REM sleep, breathing and pulse may be irregular, and small muscular twitches are common.

The Tracker That Might Actually Help You Sleep Better |DailyBurn |October 17, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

But irregular Ukrainian troops armed with first-class rifles, mortars, and explosive devices would do Russian troops great damage.

Obama Must Show He’ll Use Military Means to Deter Russia in Ukraine |Leslie H. Gelb |March 30, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
I think I have heard Captain Burton say that he had irregular teeth, which made his smile unpleasant.

The Atlantic Monthly, Vol. 13, No. 78, April, 1864 |Various
If stamping is desired, make rows of small circles, regular or irregular, by using the nail set and a wood mallet.

The Boy Mechanic, Book 2 |Various
In the background marched in ceaseless procession an irregular file of men.

McAllister and His Double |Arthur Train
Some send it forth in a solid, steady, majestic column; others in an irregular, churn-like fashion.

Then and Now |Robert Vaughn
That step would be irregular, and discourteous to the administration.

The Red Cross in Peace and War |Clara Barton

British Dictionary definitions for irregular

irregular

/ (ɪˈrɛɡjʊlə) /

adjective

lacking uniformity or symmetry; uneven in shape, position, arrangement, etc

not occurring at expected or equal intervals an irregular pulse

differing from the normal or accepted practice or routine

not according to established standards of behaviour; unconventional

(of the formation, inflections, or derivations of a word) not following the usual pattern of formation in a language, as English plurals ending other than in -s or -es

of or relating to guerrillas or volunteers not belonging to regular forces irregular troops

(of flowers) having any of their parts, esp petals, differing in size, shape, etc; asymmetric

US (of merchandise) not up to the manufacturer's standards or specifications; flawed; imperfect

noun

a soldier not in a regular army

(often plural) US imperfect or flawed merchandise Compare second 1 (def. 15)

Derived forms of irregular

irregularly, adverb

Medical definitions for irregular

irregular

[ ĭ-rĕg′yə-lər ]

adj.

Not straight, uniform, or symmetrical, as facial features.

Of uneven rate, occurrence, or duration, as a heartbeat.

Deviating from a type; atypical.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

irregular

adjective

noun

Origin of irregular

SYNONYMS FOR irregular

OTHER WORDS FROM irregular

Words nearby irregular

Example sentences from the Web for irregular

British Dictionary definitions for irregular

adjective

noun

Derived forms of irregular

Medical definitions for irregular

adj.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

irregular

adjective

noun

Origin of irregular

SYNONYMS FOR irregular

OTHER WORDS FROM irregular

Words nearby irregular

Words related to irregular

Example sentences from the Web for irregular

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for irregular

adjective

noun

Derived forms of irregular

Medical definitions for irregular

adj.

British Dictionary definitions for irregular