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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
Also, look for imperfections in them, such as distorted hands or feet, unrealistic facial features, indistinct or irregular faces, unrealistic accessories such as glasses or jewelry, inaccurate shadows, watermarks, voice call lag time, voice matching, and unnatural movements. Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 19 May 2025 Look for subtle imperfections in images and videos, such as distorted hands or feet, unrealistic facial features, indistinct or irregular faces, unrealistic accessories such as glasses or jewelry, inaccurate shadows, watermarks, voice call lag time, voice matching, and unnatural movements. ArsTechnica, 15 May 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
  • Storm surge is defined by the National Hurricane Center as an abnormal rise of water generated by a storm.
    Mallory Nicholls, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2025
  • One or more other symptoms like abnormal eye movements (nystagmus), vomiting, paleness, or fearfulness are also present.
    Colleen Doherty, Verywell Health, 26 May 2025
Adjective
  • Though the May 31 eruption is the only one caught on official video, the USGS has received several reports of other sporadic eruptions over the past year.
    Greta Cross, USA Today, 1 June 2025
  • My spring crops were slow to develop this year, stifled by sporadic frosts and bouts of dry weather.
    Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • Read More: The Healthiest Way to Clean Your House Check the base of the unit, too: Dirt can settle underneath, making the entire thing uneven, leading to performance issues and major repairs down the road, Drew says.
    Angela Haupt, Time, 3 June 2025
  • The American game was largely insular, coaching education uneven, and infrastructure limited.
    Lee Igel, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
Adjective
  • With its gleaming cabinetry, large central island and ample space for a large table and chairs for informal meals, this area has an undeniable contemporary feel and visual appeal.
    James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 1 June 2025
  • This exemption enabled informal workers and women who had had career gaps due to childrearing, for instance, to retire with some security.
    Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • While there are certainly products that can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and needs, hair products are often created with specific consumers in mind.
    Annie Blackman, Allure, 31 May 2025
  • Concurrently, fire exclusion policies aimed to protect young stands but inadvertently led to unnatural fuel accumulation beneath regenerating trees.
    Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • While a few breeds, such as the Turkish Van, are known to enjoy the occasional swim, the average house cat is famously water-averse.
    Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
  • Having the occasional treat or missing a workout is okay.
    Lindsay Curtis, Health, 4 June 2025
Adjective
  • May 31, 2025 The jagged ridges in the green mountains above Spruce Pine look strange at first, as if they were scratched into the surface by giant claws.
    Mike Belleme, New York Times, 31 May 2025
  • Especially when exploring all the jagged edges can be as delicious as it has been executed in Sirens.
    Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
Adjective
  • This unconventional talent pool helped Tesla streamline operations and scale faster than legacy automakers expected.
    David Villa, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
  • There was something transgressive and liberating about an aesthetic that inverted not only good and bad taste but also conventional and unconventional morality.
    Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Irregular.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irregular. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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