regardless

1 of 2

adverb

re·​gard·​less ri-ˈgärd-ləs How to pronounce regardless (audio)
Synonyms of regardlessnext
: despite everything
went ahead with their plans regardless

regardless

2 of 2

adjective

: heedless, careless
regardlessly adverb
regardlessness noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Is irregardless a word?

Yes. It may not be a word that you like, or a word that you would use in a term paper, but irregardless certainly is a word. It has been in use for almost 200 years, and is employed by a large number of people across a wide geographic range and with a consistent meaning. That is why we, and well-nigh every other dictionary of modern English, define this word. Remember that a definition is not an endorsement of a word’s use.

Does irregardless mean the same thing as regardless?

Yes. We define irregardless as "regardless." Many people find irregardless to be a nonsensical word, as the ir- prefix usually functions to indicate negation; however, in this case it appears to function as an intensifier. Similar ir- words, while rare, do exist in English, including irremediless ("remediless"), irresistless ("resistless"), and irrelentlessly ("relentlessly").

Is irregardless slang?

We label irregardless as “nonstandard” rather than “slang.” When a word is nonstandard it means it is “not conforming in pronunciation, grammatical construction, idiom, or word choice to the usage generally characteristic of educated native speakers of a language.” Irregardless is a long way from winning general acceptance as a standard English word. For that reason, it is best to use regardless instead.

Synonyms

Adverb

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of regardless in a Sentence

Adverb the weather looked bad, but they were resolved to go on with their picnic regardless
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adverb
But bits of myself ended up making it into the character regardless. —Kazuma Hashimoto, Them, 28 Oct. 2024 Among registered voters who regard Trump as a fascist, 8% support him regardless, the poll found. —Emily Chang, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2024 The ad placement’s surroundings may not be to everyone’s tastes, but the objective of the advertiser has been achieved regardless. —Sergii Denysenko, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024 The watches on display are an excellent excuse to visit the Horological Society regardless. —David Flett, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for regardless 

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

1872, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1578, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of regardless was in 1578

Phrases Containing regardless

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Dictionary Entries Near regardless

regarding

regardless

regardless of

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Regardless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regardless. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

regardless

1 of 2 adjective
re·​gard·​less ri-ˈgärd-ləs How to pronounce regardless (audio)
: having or taking no regard : heedless, careless
regardless of what might happen

regardless

2 of 2 adverb
: in spite of everything

More from Merriam-Webster on regardless

Nglish: Translation of regardless for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of regardless for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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