irrespective
- 01 C1 Advanced
adv.used to say that something happens or is true without being affected by other things.
adv.functioning to indicate that a situation exists or an action occurs without regard to specific conditions or consequences.
Simple“The rules apply to everyone, irrespective of how much money they have.”
In context“The foundation provides medical assistance to all refugees irrespective of their country of origin or political affiliation.”
UsageAlmost exclusively used in the fixed phrase 'irrespective of' followed by a noun or noun phrase.
Teacher's tipWhile technically an adverb, it is best taught to students as a complex preposition ('irrespective of') similar to 'regardless of'.
PitfallThe law applies to all irrespective from age. The law applies to all irrespective of age.The word 'irrespective' is almost always followed by the preposition 'of'.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C2 Proficiency
adj.not influenced by or not considering specific conditions.
adj.independent of or not taking into account particular circumstances or conditions; often used in philosophical or legal contexts.
Simple“The judge made an irrespective decision based only on the evidence.”
In context“The committee sought to reach an irrespective conclusion, setting aside their personal biases to focus on the data.”
UsageRarely used as a standalone adjective in modern English; usually appears in academic or legal writing.
Teacher's tipThis adjective use is quite rare; students will mostly encounter the adverbial phrase 'irrespective of'.
Synonyms
“I don’t wish any politician any ill will, irrespective of their political persuasion.”
“Furthermore, the researchers showed that there was consistent increase in cardiovascular events with xylitol irrespective of baseline characteristics, such as age and sex.”
From ir- + respective.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.