# irregular

/ˌɪˈɹɛɡjəɫɝ/ (US) · /ɪɹˈɛɡjuːlɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/irregular
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. not following a pattern

adjective · CEFR B2

not happening at regular times or following a steady pattern.

For teachers: occurring at uneven or varying intervals; lacking a predictable temporal or spatial pattern.

- The doctor noticed that the patient had an irregular heartbeat.
- The company faced significant cash flow problems due to the irregular nature of their seasonal sales and unpredictable client payments.

### 2. grammar

adjective · CEFR B1 · Technical

a word that does not follow the usual rules for its endings.

For teachers: not following the standard patterns of inflection or conjugation within a specific language system.

- The verb 'to be' is the most irregular verb in the English language.
- Students often struggle with irregular past participle forms, as they must be memorised individually rather than generated through a rule-based suffix.

Usage: In linguistics, this usually refers to verbs, nouns, or adjectives that have unique forms.

### 3. uneven shape

adjective · CEFR B2

not having a smooth or balanced shape.

For teachers: lacking symmetry, uniformity, or equal sides and angles.

- The island has a very irregular coastline with many small bays.
- The architect designed the building around an irregular plot of land, resulting in a unique floor plan with no right angles.

### 4. unofficial soldier

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a soldier who is not part of a country's official army.

For teachers: a member of an armed force that is not part of the official military establishment of a state.

- The forest was filled with irregulars fighting against the invading army.
- The historical account details how a small band of irregulars managed to disrupt the supply lines of the professional imperial forces for several months.

## Examples

- The verb 'to be' is a common irregular in English.
- Students often struggle to memorize the list of irregulars when learning the past simple tense.
- While most English verbs follow a predictable pattern, the high-frequency irregulars are often remnants of older linguistic structures that have resisted the pressure of regularization over centuries.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.