irregular
Americanadjective
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without symmetry, even shape, formal arrangement, etc..
an irregular pattern.
- Synonyms:
- uneven, unsymmetrical
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not characterized by any fixed principle, method, continuity, or rate.
irregular intervals.
- Synonyms:
- lawless, eccentric, erratic, capricious, disorderly, unsystematic, unmethodical
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not conforming to established rules, customs, etiquette, morality, etc..
highly irregular behavior.
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not according to rule, or to the accepted principle, method, course, order, etc.
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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.
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Military. (formerly, of troops) not belonging to an organized group of the established forces.
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flawed, damaged, or failing to meet a specific standard of manufacture.
a sale of irregular shirts.
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Botany.
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not uniform.
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(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.
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deviating or experiencing deviations from a normally regular or cyclic body function, as bowel habits or menstruation.
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(of a stock or commodity market) of mixed market activity; showing no clear up or down trend.
noun
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a person or thing that is irregular.
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Commerce. a product or material that does not meet specifications or standards of the manufacturer, as one having imperfections in its pattern.
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Military. a soldier or combatant not of a regular military force, as a guerrilla or partisan.
adjective
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lacking uniformity or symmetry; uneven in shape, position, arrangement, etc
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not occurring at expected or equal intervals
an irregular pulse
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differing from the normal or accepted practice or routine
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not according to established standards of behaviour; unconventional
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(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
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of or relating to guerrillas or volunteers not belonging to regular forces
irregular troops
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(of flowers) having any of their parts, esp petals, differing in size, shape, etc; asymmetric
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(of merchandise) not up to the manufacturer's standards or specifications; flawed; imperfect
noun
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a soldier not in a regular army
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(often plural) imperfect or flawed merchandise Compare second 1
Related Words
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).
Other Word Forms
- irregularly adverb
- quasi-irregular adjective
- quasi-irregularly adverb
Etymology
Origin of irregular
First recorded in 1350–1400; from Late Latin irrēgulāris ( ir- 2, regular ); replacing Middle English irreguler, from Middle French
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.
It rotates on its side, has an irregular magnetic field, and is surrounded by moons that may contain subsurface oceans beneath icy crusts.
From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026
In response, authorities have stepped up security and introduced tougher legal measures targeting irregular migration networks, deporting thousands of migrants to their home countries.
From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026
The candies themselves looked like tiny, dusty potatoes: irregular little lumps of sweet cream with bits of coconut rolled in cinnamon, dusty and warm-smelling, tucked into a plastic tray.
From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026
But local rights group Foro Penal has documented only 670 releases so far, criticizing the regime’s lack of transparency, irregular pace and arbitrary process.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026
Geeks keep their computers on round-the-clock and often work irregular hours, in part because Web-surfing, software trading, and collecting and ICQ and Hotline messaging are factored in.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
Definitions 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.
