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View synonyms for irregular
irregular
[ ih-reg-yuh-ler ]
adjective
- without symmetry, even shape, formal arrangement, etc.:
an irregular pattern.
Synonyms: unsymmetrical, uneven
- not characterized by any fixed principle, method, continuity, or rate:
irregular intervals.
Synonyms: unsystematic, unmethodical, lawless, eccentric, erratic, capricious, disorderly
- 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.
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
- (of merchandise) not up to the manufacturer's standards or specifications; flawed; imperfect
noun
- a soldier not in a regular army
- often plural imperfect or flawed merchandise Compare second 1
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Derived Forms
- irˈregularly, adverb
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Other Words From
- ir·regu·lar·ly adverb
- quasi-ir·regu·lar adjective
- quasi-ir·regu·lar·ly adverb
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Word History and Origins
Origin of irregular1
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Synonym Study
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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