Words / B2

i-REG-y-uh-l-uh/ɪˈreɡjələ/

Irregular means not regular in time, shape, or rules: irregular verbs; irregular hours; an irregular coastline. Regular is the opposite. Irregular verbs still appear in the gap-fill. News also: irregular migration (loaded — use the paper’s term carefully). Do not call a slightly late bus irregular if the timetable always slips by two minutes.

Meaning

Not regular in shape, time, or rules.

Examples

• “Irregular verbs still appear in the grammar gap-fill, the examiner warned.”
• “An irregular coastline increased the erosion risk, which is the geography sense.”

Good to know

irregular verbs / hours / shape. Opposite: regular. Grammar, work, and coasts. Uneven or not by the rule. Migration sense is politically loaded.

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