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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word irregular distinct from other similar adjectives?

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

When would anomalous be a good substitute for irregular?

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

When could unnatural be used to replace irregular?

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

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of irregular
Adjective
The huge piece was pitted like a Holland cheese and carried on its irregular surface some splotches of green and snuff-yellow where the lichens clung in spotted patterns. Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 27 Feb. 2025 For example, the Pixel Watch, Apple Watch, and others can detect atrial fibrillation (AFib), a type of irregular heartbeat that could indicate an impending stroke or heart attack. Ryan Whitwam, Ars Technica, 26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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 See All Example Sentences for irregular
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irregular
Adjective
  • These abnormal cells however can progress to invasive breast cancer.
    Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Cancerous lumps vary greatly in appearance but usually tend to have a few similar characteristics, including an abnormal shape; rapid growth; ulcerated areas; abnormal color; hair loss; and attachment to an underlying tissue.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • It’s been pretty sporadic and erratic with a bunch of them.
    Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2025
  • In its initial phase, between 1990 and 2005, pirate attacks were sporadic and contained mostly in the Gulf of Aden.
    Soham Mitra, Lou Robinson and Patrick Gallagher, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Connecticut transit riders urged lawmakers to bolster funding and services for the state’s local commuter railroads on Wednesday, as ridership continues to experience an uneven rebound from the pandemic.
    John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Two different curling irons — a 1-inch and a 1.5-inch — gave the pro uneven waves for a more natural feel.
    Jackie Fields, People.com, 27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Not in a classroom with a lecture but sitting on your couch with your family, eating some popcorn, getting this informal education, and hopefully planting a seed that, hey, Black women do this type of science.
    Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Meanwhile, many women around the world are still struggling to find work, with many holding precarious jobs or forced to hustle in the informal economy just to get by.
    Meera Senthilingam, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Advanced algorithms and neural networks can analyze pixel artifacts, unnatural movements and other subtle audio-visual data inconsistencies to detect deepfakes accurately.
    Dan Yerushalmi, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025
  • That comes from Reid, according to Kelce, and it’s led an almost unnatural level of calm across the team.
    Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • When do most of us wear gowns outside of the occasional black tie wedding?
    Sarah Boyd, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Cobb is a native to Georgia and Hood is from Alabama, and the two have been friends — and occasional collaborators — for the better part of two decades.
    Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The image teases both the film’s narrative developments and its jagged formal approach, as the director (who shares editing duties with both co-writer Karen Plata and DP Odei Zabaleta) aims to structurally replicate the non-linear disorder and occasional blind spots of ruptured childhood memories.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Located on the historic Santa Barbara plantation, the jagged limestone peak is accessible at four different points with routes up to 164 feet high (50 meters), depending on your athletic ability.
    Curaçao Tourist Board, AFAR Media, 26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Guests flocked to the espresso martini bar (which concealed a secret door leading to a private lounge where a few discreetly slipped away) or lounged in the outdoor living room, where swinging beds served as unconventional seating.
    Jamila Stewart, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2025
  • However, the path to gaining such a naturalized vision of peace requires us to revisit some of the lessons of unconventional diplomacy that consider broader planetary imperatives of sustainability.
    Saleem H. Ali, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Irregular.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irregular. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.

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