irregular
adj.
not symmetrical, uneven; inconsistent, erratic; deviating from the norm, abnormal; not organized; defective
n.
soldier who does not belong to an organized fighting force; imperfect product, damaged merchandise
Irregular
Something that is irregular does not follow the expected pattern. The term is used in many different fields, with quite different meanings.In
astronomy, an
astronomical object whose shape or behavior varies considerably from the
archetype is called an irregular. This applies to
irregular galaxy,
irregular variable,
asteroid,
crater,
orbit,
planet,
moon or natural
satellite.In
language, it is applied to a word that does not follow the most common rules of the language, such as
irregular verb,
plural or
spelling. See irregularity (linguistics).In
business,
law,
politics,
science and related fields, an irregular procedure, typically called an irregularity, is an action that does not completely follow the agreed standards, though it does not violate them. By itself, a single irregularity is of little consequence, but when many irregularities occur together, they may be signs of hidden
fraud, misconduct or malfeasance. See
creative accounting and
2004 U.S. presidential election controversy and irregularities for examples.In
manufacturing, an irregular is a product that does not meet the accepted levels of quality, but still available for sale, typically in
outlet stores or secondary markets at a lower price.In
military terms, an irregular is a soldier who is not part of the official regular army, or does not follow regular army tactics. See
irregular military.In
medicine, anything that does not follow the expected healthy pattern may be called irregular, such as
irregular heartbeat or irregular
menstrual cycle.In
mathematics, something that falls below the definition of the perfect
archetype may be called irregular, such as
irregular prime,
polygon or
polyhedron. The
irregularity is an invariant of algebraic surfaces.In
chess, an opening that is little used and less studied is called an
irregular chess opening.
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irregular
Noun
1. a member of an irregular armed force that fights a stronger force by sabotage and harassment
(synonym) guerrilla, guerilla, insurgent
(hypernym) warrior
(hyponym) Maquis, Maquisard
(member-holonym) guerrilla force, guerilla force
2. merchandise that has imperfections; usually sold at a reduced price without the brand name
(synonym) second
(hypernym) merchandise, wares, product
Adjective
1. contrary to rule or accepted order or general practice; "irregular hiring practices"
(antonym) regular
(similar) arrhythmic, jerking, jerky, unsteady
(see-also) asymmetrical, asymmetric
(attribute) regularity
2. (of solids) not having clear dimensions that can be measured; volume must be determined with the principle of liquid displacement
(antonym) regular
3. not occurring at expected times
(synonym) unpredictable
(similar) sporadic
4. used of the military; not belonging to or engaged in by regular army forces; "irregular troops"; "irregular warfare"
(antonym) regular
(see-also) partisan, partizan
5. deviating from what is usual or common or to be expected; often somewhat odd or strange; "these days large families are atypical"; "highly irregular behavior"
(synonym) atypical
(similar) abnormal
6. lacking continuity or regularity; "an irregular worker"; "employed on a temporary basis"
(synonym) temporary
(similar) part-time
7. of a surface; not level or flat; "walking was difficult on the irregular cobblestoned surface"
(similar) uneven
8. used of independent armed resistance forces; "guerrilla warfare"; "partisan forces"
(synonym) guerrilla(a), guerilla(a), underground
(similar) partisan, partizan
9. independent in behavior or thought; "she led a somewhat irregular private life"; "maverick politicians"
(synonym) maverick, unorthodox
(similar) unconventional
irregular
adj.
irregular, not symmetrical, uneven; inconsistent, erratic; deviating from the norm, abnormal
irregular
n.
irregular, imperfect product