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).

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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 irregularly

Many reported trying to save money by irregularly taking the pill or changing to a less effective method of contraception.

Thank The Pill For Abortion Rate Drop |Sally Kohn |February 3, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Due south of these come an irregularly distributed branch of the Paducas—the Apaches.

The Natural History of the Varieties of Man |Robert Gordon Latham
Seventeen spots appeared, irregularly distributed, but the most careful scrutiny could not recognize the shape of any letters.

Scenes from a Courtesan's Life |Honore de Balzac
Irregularly hyphenated words have been left as they appeared in the original.

In-Door Gardening for Every Week in the Year |William Keane

The tribunal was irregularly constituted and his facts had been proven to be in part, at least, true.

Paul Gauguin, His Life and Art |John Gould Fletcher
The included portion is irregularly conical in shape with the tip at the pith.

The Mechanical Properties of Wood |Samuel J. Record

British Dictionary definitions for irregularly

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 irregularly

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 irregularly

British Dictionary definitions for irregularly

adjective

noun

Derived forms of irregular

Medical definitions for irregularly

adj.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

irregular

adjective

noun

Origin of irregular

SYNONYMS FOR irregular

OTHER WORDS FROM irregular

Words nearby irregular

Words related to irregularly

Example sentences from the Web for irregularly

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adjective

noun

Derived forms of irregular

Medical definitions for irregularly

adj.

British Dictionary definitions for irregularly