regular

[ reg-yuh-ler ]

adjective

1. usual; normal; customary:

   To stay tidy, always put things back in their regular place immediately.

2. evenly or uniformly arranged; symmetrical:

   His white, regular teeth were his most noticable feature.

   Synonyms: uniform, orderly, formal, even

3. characterized by fixed principle, uniform procedure, etc.:

   It's a relief to finally have regular income coming in.

4. recurring at fixed times; periodic: The dog is much better now that she's getting regular meals.

   Regular bus departures occured between noon and three in the afternnoon.

   The dog is much better now that she's getting regular meals.

   Synonyms: fixed, habitual

5. rhythmical:

   The baby's regular breathing suggested she was finally sleeping.

6. occurring with normal frequency, as menses or bowel movements.
7. having regular menses or bowel movements.
8. adhering to a rule or procedure; methodical:

   regular habits; to be regular in one's diet.

   Synonyms: systematic

9. observing fixed times or habits; habitual:

   a regular customer.

10. orderly; well-ordered:

    a regular life.

11. conforming to some accepted rule, discipline, etc.
12. carried out in accordance with an accepted principle or rule; formally correct:

    a regular session of the court.

13. qualified to engage in an occupation or profession; legitimate; proper:

    I suspected the man wasn't a regular doctor.

14. Informal.
    1. real or genuine; down-to-earth; decent:

       a regular guy.

    2. absolute; thoroughgoing:

       a regular rascal.

15. (of a flower) having the members of each of its floral circles or whorls alike in form and size.
16. Grammar. conforming to the most prevalent pattern of formation, inflection, construction, etc.:

    a regular verb.

17. Mathematics.
    1. governed by one law throughout.
    2. (of a polygon) having all sides and angles equal.
    3. (of a polyhedron) having all faces congruent regular polygons, and all solid angles congruent.
    4. (of a topological space) having the property that, corresponding to each point and a closed set not containing the point, there are two disjoint open sets, one containing the point, the other containing the closed set.
    5. (of a function of a complex variable) analytic ( def 5a ).
18. Military. noting or belonging to the permanently organized, or standing, army of a state.
19. International Law. noting soldiers recognized as legitimate combatants in warfare.
20. Ecclesiastical. subject to a religious rule, or belonging to a religious or monastic order ( secular ):

    regular clergy.

21. U.S. Politics. of, relating to, or selected by the recognized agents of a political party:

    the regular ticket.

22. of or relating to a product, such as a food or beverage, that has the original formula or typical ingredients, usually used to contrast with a modified version of the same product: regular yogurt or soy yogurt;

    regular or diet soda;

    regular yogurt or soy yogurt;

    regular gasoline or premium.

23. (of coffee) containing an average amount of milk or cream.

noun

1. a long-standing or habitual customer or client:

   The restaurant can always find tables for its regulars.

2. Ecclesiastical. a member of a duly constituted religious order under a rule.
3. Military. a professional soldier.
4. U.S. Politics. a party member who faithfully stands by their party.
5. a size of garment designed for men of average build.
6. a garment, as a suit or overcoat, in a size of garment designed for men of average build.
7. an athlete who plays in most of the games, usually from the start.

regular

/ ˈrɛɡjʊlə /

adjective

1. normal, customary, or usual
2. according to a uniform principle, arrangement, or order

   trees planted at regular intervals

3. occurring at fixed or prearranged intervals

   to make a regular call on a customer

4. following a set rule or normal practice; methodical or orderly
5. symmetrical in appearance or form; even

   regular features

6. prenominal organized, elected, conducted, etc, in a proper or officially prescribed manner
7. prenominal officially qualified or recognized

   he's not a regular doctor

8. prenominal (intensifier)

   a regular fool

9. informal.
   likable, dependable, or nice (esp in the phrase a regular guy )
10. denoting or relating to the personnel or units of the permanent military services

    the regular army

    a regular soldier

11. (of flowers) having any of their parts, esp petals, alike in size, shape, arrangement, etc; symmetrical
12. (of the formation, inflections, etc, of a word) following the usual pattern of formation in a language
13. maths
    1. (of a polygon) equilateral and equiangular
    2. (of a polyhedron) having identical regular polygons as faces that make identical angles with each other
    3. (of a prism) having regular polygons as bases
    4. (of a pyramid) having a regular polygon as a base and the altitude passing through the centre of the base
    5. another name for analytic
14. See actinomorphic
    botany another word for actinomorphic
15. postpositive subject to the rule of an established religious order or community

    canons regular

16. politics of, selected by, or loyal to the leadership or platform of a political party

    a regular candidate

    regular policies

17. See cubic
    crystallog another word for cubic

noun

1. a professional long-term serviceman or -woman in a military unit
2. informal.
   a person who does something regularly, such as attending a theatre or patronizing a shop
3. a member of a religious order or congregation, as contrasted with a secular
4. politics a party member loyal to the leadership, organization, platform, etc, of his or her party

regular

/ rĕg′yə-lər /

1. Having all sides or faces equal. For example, a square is a regular polygon, and a cube is a regular polyhedron.

Derived Forms

• ˌreguˈlarity, noun
• ˈregularly, adverb

Other Words From

• reg·u·lar·i·ty [reg-y, uh, -, lar, -i-tee], regu·lar·ness noun
• quasi-regu·lar adjective
• quasi-regu·lar·ly adverb
• sub·regu·lar adjective
• subreg·u·lari·ty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of regular¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English reguler (adjective) from Middle French, from Late Latin rēgulāris. See regula, -ar ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of regular¹

C14: from Old French reguler , from Latin rēgulāris of a bar of wood or metal, from rēgula ruler, model

Example Sentences

But they say its effect on the regular daily operation of organized crime has been negligible.

From The Daily Beast

His hero, Bruce Springsteen, is a gazillionaire, but he still manages to come across as a regular guy, so perception is reality.

From The Daily Beast

And with regular clients that see him at least twice a month, relationships inevitably form.

From The Daily Beast

Yet the email references the 1970s, “when police officers were ambushed and executed on a regular basis.”

From The Daily Beast

Park employees helped John quit tobacco by way of a butts-proof glass enclosure, a drastic change in diet, and regular exercise.

From The Daily Beast

When she arrived she made a regular entry into the city in a coach all gold and glass, drawn by eight superb plumed horses.

From Project Gutenberg

If you have any thoughts of influencing me or my men to join the regular Confederate army, you may as well give up the idea.

From Project Gutenberg

He is what the bill wishes to make for us, a regular root doctor, and will suit the place exactly.

From Project Gutenberg

A child may acquire while quite young and before any methodical education commences a certain feeling for regular form.

From Project Gutenberg

He was dressed like a waiter, and he looked like one—a regular City waiter, you know.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• daily
• everyday
• formal
• legitimate
• ordinary
• proper
• routine
• traditional
• typical
• usual