Word of the Day

: November 29, 2011

regardless

adverb rih-GAHRD-lus

What It Means

: despite everything

regardless in Context

The weather forecast called for wind and rain, but Susan decided to continue with her plans regardless.

"Regardless of how much money the park has, and regardless of how efficiently that money is spent, there are practical constraints on the pace of design, approvals and construction -- a reality every public works endeavor faces." -- From an article by Jeff Overley in The Orange County Register (California), October 13, 2011

Did You Know?

"Regardless" is rather simply derived from the noun "regard" (meaning "attention" or "concern") plus "-less" -- nothing too shocking about that. But poor "regardless" became embroiled in a usage scandal through no fault of its own when people began using "irregardless" as its synonym (probably blending "irrespective" and "regardless"). "Irregardless" originated in dialectal American speech in the early 20th century, and usage commentators have been decrying it since the 1920s, often declaring "there is no such word." "Irregardless" does exist, of course, but it tends to be used primarily in speech and it is still considered nonstandard. "Regardless" is greatly preferred.