Irregular Meaning
/ɪˈɹɛɡ.jʊ.lə/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjNonstandard; not conforming to rules or expectations.
adjOf a surface, rough.
Sentence Examples
I don't like learning irregular verbs.
Your attendance at classes was irregular.
When dreams begin, breathing becomes irregular and less deep.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ heartbeat forced the doctor to recommend a pacemaker to keep it steady.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The heartbeat of the patient was ____, so the doctor ordered several tests to find the underlying cause.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English irreguler, from Old French irreguler, from Medieval Latin or Late Latin irrēgulāris, from in- + regularis, equivalent to ir- + regular.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"‘ “It would be most irregular Grandpa!” says Miss Cecily frowning and tapping her foot. “Well, we’re a pretty irregular family so that’s neither here nor there,” says the old man, impish like. [...] ’"
— 1967, Barbara Sleigh, Jessamy, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, published 1993, →ISBN, page 33:
"The hovel stood in the centre of what had once been a vegetable garden, but was now a patch of rank weeds. Surrounding this, almost like a zareba, was an irregular ring of gorse and brambles, an unclaimed vestige of the original common."
— 1944, Miles Burton, chapter 5, in The Three Corpse Trick:
"Near by, where the crystal clear River Llugwy is crossed by a bridge, stands a small and ancient church built of massive, irregular boulders."
— 1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 100:
"Many of these classic methods are still used, with some modern improvements. For example, with the aid of special microphones and automated sound detection software, ornithologists recently reported […] that pine siskins (Spinus pinus) undergo an irregular, nomadic type of nocturnal migration."
— 2013 January 1, Paul Bartel, Ashli Moore, “Avian Migration: The Ultimate Red-Eye Flight”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 1, pages 47–48:
"Irregular bedtimes may disrupt healthy brain development in young children, according to a study of intelligence and sleeping habits. ¶ Going to bed at a different time each night affected girls more than boys, but both fared worse on mental tasks than children who had a set bedtime, researchers found."
— 2013 July 19, Ian Sample, “Irregular bedtimes may affect children's brains”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 34:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ heartbeat forced the doctor to recommend a pacemaker to keep it steady.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The heartbeat of the patient was ____, so the doctor ordered several tests to find the underlying cause.