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Synonyms

irregularity

American  
[ih-reg-yuh-lar-i-tee] / ɪˌrɛg yəˈlær ɪ ti /

noun

irregularities plural
  1. the quality or state of being irregular.

  2. something irregular.

  3. a breach of rules, customs, etiquette, morality, etc.

  4. occasional mild constipation.


irregularity British  
/ ɪˌrɛɡjʊˈlærɪtɪ /

noun

  1. the state or quality of being irregular

  2. something irregular, such as a bump in a smooth surface

  3. a breach of a convention or normal procedure

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

Etymology

Origin of irregularity

1275–1325; Middle English irregularite < Old French < Medieval Latin irrēgulāritās. See ir- 2, regularity ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Here, the very irregularity of the interior environment, including the concrete surfaces — richer and more textured than I expected — heightened my alertness.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Nature herself is more than shapeless irregularity; the woods have glades and groves, animal trails and vistas; like literature, they have rising and falling action.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Transactions initially appeared to be completed correctly, but the irregularity was only discovered days later, when the payment platform transferred the actual amount paid to the affected company.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

During the trial last year, Le Pen denied she had committed "the slightest irregularity".

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2025

Was he listening to the air whooshing in and out of her nose, she wondered, waiting for a subtle faltering, a revealing irregularity, that would betray her thoughts?

From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini

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