irregularity

noun

ir·​reg·​u·​lar·​i·​ty i-ˌre-gyə-ˈler-ə-tē How to pronounce irregularity (audio)
ˌi(r)-,
-ˈla-rə-
plural irregularities
1
: something that is irregular (such as improper or dishonest conduct)
alleged irregularities in the city government
2
: the quality or state of being irregular
3

Examples of irregularity in a Sentence

the irregularity of his behavior He is suffering from irregularity.
Recent Examples on the Web Following the arrest, officers noticed irregularities in Santana's personal identification records. Timothy Nerozzi, Fox News, 7 Mar. 2024 Ruby Corado, 53, the founder of Casa Ruby, had allegedly fled the United States after financial irregularities at the nonprofit became public in 2022, according to the U.S. attorney’s office for the District. Casey Parks, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Additionally, experts said, the substance of what a speaker is saying should be examined for irregularities. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2024 On the Democratic side in 2016, Hillary Clinton edged Bernie Sanders by just 0.3 percentage points, with Sanders supporters citing counting and reporting irregularities. Bridget Bowman, NBC News, 10 Jan. 2024 His visit comes just days after a Supreme Court justice reinstated Rodrigues, annulling a December court ruling that removed Rodrigues and all his executives from their jobs at the confederation, because of irregularities in the 2022 election process. Diane Jeantet, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2024 In 2012, he was credited with exposing absentee-ballot irregularities in 2012 while working as a union investigator. Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2024 This time of renewal begins at different ages, sometimes as early as the mid 30’s, and is usually accompanied by a heap of symptoms like hot flashes, sleep irregularity, and mood changes. Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Vessels whose voyage paths showed irregularities were cross-referenced with information provided by Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers.com, a company that monitors oil shipping. SynMax and Pole Star, two other companies that monitor shipping, provided additional data. Christiaan Triebert, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'irregularity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English irregularite, from Medieval Latin irregularitat-, irregularitas, from Late Latin irregularis

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of irregularity was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near irregularity

Cite this Entry

“Irregularity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irregularity. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

irregularity

noun
ir·​reg·​u·​lar·​i·​ty (ˌ)ir-ˌ(r)eg-yə-ˈlar-ət-ē How to pronounce irregularity (audio)
plural irregularities
1
: the quality or state of being irregular
2
: something (as dishonest conduct) that is irregular
3

Medical Definition

irregularity

noun
ir·​reg·​u·​lar·​i·​ty (ˌ)ir-ˌ(r)eg-yə-ˈlar-ət-ē How to pronounce irregularity (audio)
plural irregularities
1
: the quality or state of being irregular
irregularity of breathing
hormonal irregularities
2
: occasional constipation
more fiber in one's diet may help relieve irregularity

Legal Definition

irregularity

noun
ir·​reg·​u·​lar·​i·​ty ir-ˌre-gyə-ˈlar-ə-tē How to pronounce irregularity (audio)
plural irregularities
: something that is irregular
an irregularity in the proceeding
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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