irrespective
Americanadjective
adjective
adverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of irrespective
First recorded in 1630–40; ir- 2 + respective
Explanation
The adverb irrespective means regardless or in spite, and it is almost always followed by the word "of." Irrespective of your desire to stay inside on a bitterly cold day, the dog still needs to be walked. Irrespective is a combination of the Latin roots ir, meaning not, and respectivus, meaning having regard for. The word irrespective is sometimes confused with its synonym regardless, giving rise in the early 20th century to the nonstandard word irregardless, which is considered an error by most grammarians, irrespective of how many people use irregardless in their everyday speech.
Vocabulary lists containing irrespective
Fences
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Vocabulary from the Magna Carta on its 800th Anniversary
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This Side of Wild
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
So it wasn’t surprising that the bill’s negotiators included provisions to ensure timely review, financial remedies for improper federal interference, and removal of future administrations’ ability to meddle with permitted projects, irrespective of energy technology.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
With impressive box defenders, dangerous counter-attackers and set-piece specialists, their tactics can align with their players' strengths, helping them compete against more less aligned opponents, irrespective of their wealth gap.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
There is a school of thought that argues that, without any wins, it is simply too many, irrespective of her previous achievements.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
In the end, there’s a cost—not just to the fan but to the culture at large: “The shared experience of being fans, the feeling of solidarity irrespective and class and background, is being eroded.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
But they did it, irrespective of me, and as we rode, the seeds for this book were planted.
From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
