irregular
1 of 2adjective
ir·reg·u·lar i-ˈre-gyə-lər 
ˌi(r)-
1
a
: not being or acting in accord with laws, rules, or established custom
irregular conduct
b
: not conforming to the usual pattern of inflection
irregular verbs
specifically : strong sense 16
c
: not following a usual or prescribed procedure
especially, British : celebrated without either proclamation of the banns or publication of intention to marry
irregular marriage
2
: not belonging to or a part of a regular organized group
specifically : not belonging to a regular army but raised for a special purpose
irregular troops
3
a
: lacking perfect symmetry or evenness
an irregular coastline
b
: having one or more floral parts of the same whorl different in size, shape, or arrangement
specifically : zygomorphic
4
: lacking continuity or regularity especially of occurrence or activity
irregular employment
irregularly adverb
irregular
2 of 2noun
: one that is irregular: such as
a
: a soldier who is not a member of a regular military force
b
irregulars plural : merchandise that has minor defects or that falls next below the manufacturer's standard for firsts
Synonyms
Adjective
- aberrant
- aberrational
- abnormal
- anomalous
- atypical
- deviant
- deviate
- devious
- unnatural
- untypical
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective His behavior as a teacher was highly irregular. Her application was handled in an irregular manner. a very jagged, irregular surface The stone has an irregular shape. He has a very irregular schedule. The festival has been held at irregular intervals. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Ben Baldanza, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2021 Currently, millions of people with an irregular heartbeat are told to take expensive blood thinners, which prevent strokes, but also increase the risk of dangerous bleeding. Mario Aguilar, STAT, 1 Sep. 2022 Men often don't experience symptoms of an irregular heartbeat at all. Erika Edwards, NBC News, 21 Aug. 2022 The most common conditions among COVID-positive children were irregular heartbeat, difficulty breathing, pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis, and ear, nose, and throat disorders. Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 13 Aug. 2022 In the short-term, those exposed may experience dizziness, an irregular heartbeat or other symptoms. Aaron Gregg, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2022 And while most women do experience symptoms, some manage to skate by with nothing more than some irregular periods, Dr. Faubion says. Meryl Davids Landau, Good Housekeeping, 6 July 2022 Common red flags include missed or irregular report filings or inconsistencies in the amount of property or the property types that have been reported. Jon D'amato, Forbes, 11 June 2021 The symptoms of the condition include: chest pain, difficulty breathing, low blood pressure and irregular heartbeat, per Healthline. Stephanie Wenger, PEOPLE.com, 12 July 2022 Paula Allen, ExpressNews.com, 15 Feb. 2020 Turkish troops then began shelling Kurdish towns in Syria, and Turkish forces pushed forward, irregulars executing people in ditches along the road. Time, 14 Nov. 2019 Pakistani irregulars invaded, India intervened, and the two countries fought to a stalemate. Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2019 Somehow the regulars don’t seem to mind all the irregulars who come to gawk. Joshua Levine, WSJ, 15 Jan. 2019 Instead imagine high-tech mobs, an intifada with stones and drones, locals and irregulars in improvised warfare with the feds. Lance Morrow, WSJ, 6 July 2018 Who took up arms to help their husbands in their clashes with Turkish troops and Kurdish irregulars. Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE.com, 24 Apr. 2018 The onslaught followed days of army units and pro-government irregulars mobilizing from as far as the northern city of Aleppo before massing south of the capital. Nabih Bulos, latimes.com, 20 Apr. 2018 The army's 3rd and 4th divisions, the Republican Guard, Russian forces, tribal fighters and pro-government irregulars are expected to take part in the offensive, pro-government activists said. Nabih Bulos, latimes.com, 20 Feb. 2018 See More
Adjective
Their ability to recover from irregular operations when most flights are only flown once per day still challenges the airline, as was seen this summer. Ben Baldanza, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2021 Currently, millions of people with an irregular heartbeat are told to take expensive blood thinners, which prevent strokes, but also increase the risk of dangerous bleeding. Mario Aguilar, STAT, 1 Sep. 2022 Men often don't experience symptoms of an irregular heartbeat at all. Erika Edwards, NBC News, 21 Aug. 2022 The most common conditions among COVID-positive children were irregular heartbeat, difficulty breathing, pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis, and ear, nose, and throat disorders. Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 13 Aug. 2022 In the short-term, those exposed may experience dizziness, an irregular heartbeat or other symptoms. Aaron Gregg, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2022 And while most women do experience symptoms, some manage to skate by with nothing more than some irregular periods, Dr. Faubion says. Meryl Davids Landau, Good Housekeeping, 6 July 2022 Common red flags include missed or irregular report filings or inconsistencies in the amount of property or the property types that have been reported. Jon D'amato, Forbes, 11 June 2021 The symptoms of the condition include: chest pain, difficulty breathing, low blood pressure and irregular heartbeat, per Healthline. Stephanie Wenger, PEOPLE.com, 12 July 2022 Noun
As volunteer companies were raised to drive out the Mexican forces — who were occupying their own country — some of the irregulars were joined by free black men. Paula Allen, ExpressNews.com, 15 Feb. 2020 Turkish troops then began shelling Kurdish towns in Syria, and Turkish forces pushed forward, irregulars executing people in ditches along the road. Time, 14 Nov. 2019 Pakistani irregulars invaded, India intervened, and the two countries fought to a stalemate. Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2019 Somehow the regulars don’t seem to mind all the irregulars who come to gawk. Joshua Levine, WSJ, 15 Jan. 2019 Instead imagine high-tech mobs, an intifada with stones and drones, locals and irregulars in improvised warfare with the feds. Lance Morrow, WSJ, 6 July 2018 Who took up arms to help their husbands in their clashes with Turkish troops and Kurdish irregulars. Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE.com, 24 Apr. 2018 The onslaught followed days of army units and pro-government irregulars mobilizing from as far as the northern city of Aleppo before massing south of the capital. Nabih Bulos, latimes.com, 20 Apr. 2018 The army's 3rd and 4th divisions, the Republican Guard, Russian forces, tribal fighters and pro-government irregulars are expected to take part in the offensive, pro-government activists said. Nabih Bulos, latimes.com, 20 Feb. 2018 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English irreguler, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin irregularis not in accordance with rule, from Latin in- + regularis regular
First Known Use
Adjective
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
irregular
adjective
ir·reg·u·lar i-ˈreg-yə-lər
1
: not following custom or rule
Her methods are most irregular.
2
: not following the usual manner of inflection
The verb "sell" is irregular because its past tense is "sold," not "selled."
3
: not straight, smooth, or even
an irregular coastline
4
: not continuous or coming at set times
He works irregular hours.
Medical Definition
irregular
adjective
ir·reg·u·lar (ˈ)ir-ˈ(r)eg-yə-lər
1
: lacking perfect symmetry of form : not straight, smooth, even, or regular
irregular teeth
2
a
: lacking continuity or regularity of occurrence, activity, or function
irregular breathing
b
of a physiological function : failing to occur at regular or normal intervals
irregular menstruation
have your bowels been irregular
c
of an individual : failing to defecate at regular or normal intervals
was constipated and very irregular
Legal Definition
irregular
adjective
ir·reg·u·lar ir-ˈre-gyə-lər
: not in accord with laws, rules, procedures, or established custom
irregular 1 of 2
adjective
1
as in abnormal
departing from some accepted standard of what is normal it was a bank customer's slightly irregular behavior that made people suspicious Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- abnormal
- unnatural
- unusual
- anomalous
- atypical
- unusual
- aberrant
- uncommon
- deviant
- odd
- aberrational
- uncommon
- untypical
- extraordinary
- deviate
- odd
- eccentric
- bizarre
- unconventional
- strange
- weird
- extraordinary
- devious
- peculiar
- idiosyncratic
- unrepresentative
- rare
- strange
- funny
- remarkable
- curious
- peculiar
- unorthodox
- quirky
- screwy
- unwonted
- freakish
- wacky
- rare
- kinky
- outlandish
- uncustomary
- quaint
- whacky
- nonconformist
- unwonted
- wild
- outré
- preternatural
- queer
- queerish
- uncustomary
- out-of-the-way
- way-out
- preternatural
- far-out
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- regular
- normal
- typical
- natural
- ordinary
- standard
- common
- familiar
- everyday
- routine
- unremarkable
- commonplace
- unexceptional
- usual
- characteristic
- customary
- average
- workaday
- run-of-the-mine
- wonted
- run-of-the-mill
- representative
- run-of-mine
- archetypal
- archetypical
2
as in sporadic
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence irregular mail delivery to the island Synonyms & Similar Words
- sporadic
- intermittent
- occasional
- erratic
- discontinuous
- unpredictable
- sudden
- unsteady
- violent
- spasmodic
- casual
- spastic
- aperiodic
- episodic
- fitful
- episodical
- choppy
- volatile
- spotty
- haphazard
- random
- varying
- changing
- scattered
- changeful
- fragmentary
- interrupted
- unstable
- catchy
- arbitrary
- broken
- odd
- fluctuating
- uncertain
- capricious
- inconstant
- convulsive
- aimless
- disconnected
- slapdash
- unsettled
- variable
- desultory
- stray
- fluid
- mutable
- changeable
- wavering
- mercurial
- temperamental
- hit-or-miss
- hit-and-miss
- fickle
- flickery
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- continuous
- regular
- periodic
- constant
- habitual
- steady
- uniform
- stable
- repeated
- stationary
- systematic
- unchanging
- even
- equable
- orderly
- changeless
- unvarying
- methodical
- unrelenting
- unremitting
- methodic
- unwavering
3
as in uneven
not having a level or smooth surface although the moon looks smooth from here, it actually has a very bumpy and irregular surface Synonyms & Similar Words
- uneven
- jagged
- rough
- broken
- rugged
- wavy
- ragged
- lumpy
- bumpy
- coarse
- roughened
- pebbly
- scraggy
- unbalanced
- lopsided
- undulating
- inexact
- undulatory
- rutted
- nonuniform
- harsh
- unaligned
- rutty
- pitted
- pocked
- knobby
- scratchy
- nubby
- burred
- scraggly
- knobbly
- nubbly
- knurled
- sandpapery
- knurly
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- smooth
- regular
- flat
- uniform
- level
- exact
- even
- true
- horizontal
- vertical
- aligned
- plane
- straight
- tabular
- alined
- flush
- plumb
4
as in informal
not rigidly following established form, custom, or rules the request is irregular, but I'll allow it Synonyms & Similar Words
- informal
- unconventional
- unorthodox
- unauthorized
- unceremonious
- unofficial
- heterodox
- casual
- lax
- relaxed
- easygoing
- familiar
- loose
- ultracasual
- offhand
- free and easy
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- regular
- formal
- conventional
- routine
- ceremonial
- orthodox
- proper
- correct
- rigid
- ceremonious
- stiff
- restrained
- decorous
- constrained
- inhibited
- stuffy
- uptight
5
as in changing
not staying constant irregular gusts of wind Synonyms & Similar Words
- changing
- uneven
- varying
- unequal
- fluctuating
- unstable
- changeful
- erratic
- volatile
- inconsistent
- variable
- unsteady
- uncertain
- capricious
- changeable
- inconstant
- mercurial
- mutable
- fluid
- unsettled
- fickle
- choppy
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- constant
- regular
- steady
- stable
- unvarying
- unchanging
- changeless
irregular
2 of 2noun
as in regular
Synonyms & Similar Words
- regular
- guerrilla
- paramilitary
- counterguerrilla
- soldier
- partizan
- guerilla
- counterguerilla
- warrior
- legionary
- partisan
- cavalier
- legionnaire
- serviceman
- trooper
- dogface
- cuirassier
- dragoon
- cavalryman
- fighter
- marine
- servicewoman
- man-at-arms
- infantryman
- foot soldier
- carabinier
- doughboy
- raider
- carabineer
- grunt
- commando
- ranger
- footman
- artilleryman
- musketeer
- rifleman
- archer
- mortarman
- jarhead
- cannoneer
- gunner
- crossbowman
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- civilian
- noncombatant
Synonym Chooser
The words anomalous and unnatural are common synonyms of irregular. While all three words mean "not conforming to rule, law, or custom," irregular implies not conforming to a law or regulation imposed for the sake of uniformity in method, practice, or conduct.
concerned about his irregular behavior
Although the words anomalous and irregular have much in common, anomalous implies not conforming to what might be expected because of the class or type to which it belongs or the laws that govern its existence.
her drive made her an anomalous figure in a sleepy organization
The meanings of unnatural and irregular largely overlap; however, unnatural suggests what is contrary to nature or to principles or standards felt to be essential to the well-being of civilized society.
prisoners treated with unnatural cruelty