irregularity

noun ir·reg·u·lar·i·ty \ i-ˌre-gyə-ˈler-ə-tē , ˌi(r)- , -ˈla-rə- \

Definition of irregularity

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 :constipation

See irregularity defined for English-language learners

See irregularity defined for kids

Examples of irregularity in a Sentence

the irregularity of his behavior
He is suffering from irregularity.

Recent Examples of irregularity from the Web

The hypothetical planet's pull had been cited as the cause of irregularities in Mercury's orbit.

— shauna steigerwald, Cincinnati.com, "There is no planet Vulcan, and other things we've learned from eclipses," 18 Aug. 2017
Those fields would have interfered with each other, leaving irregularities in the distribution of matter across the universe that would differ statistically from the distribution expected in conventional inflation.

— daniel clery, Science | AAAS, "Missions to probe exoplanets, galaxies, and cosmic inflation vie for $250 million NASA slot," 16 Aug. 2017
A recent study by University of Iowa professor Jaron Wilde showed a significant decrease in financial irregularities in companies after a whistle-blower incident.

— The Christian Science Monitor, "The payoff for society in rewarding whistle-blowers," 31 July 2017
Federal officials have struggled for years to weed out billing irregularities by Medicare Advantage plans, according to CMS records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by the Center for Public Integrity.

— fred schulte, Kaiser Health News, "Fraud And Billing Mistakes Cost Medicare — And Taxpayers — Tens Of Billions Last Year," 19 July 2017
Kathmandu’s Newar temples stand apart from other Asian architectures for their maddening irregularity.

— atul bhattarai, The Christian Science Monitor, "In post-quake rebuilding, Kathmandu's carvers reclaim a fading heritage," 17 July 2017
The commission seeks voter information to look into alleged irregularities into voting in the 2016 presidential election.

— steve lord, Aurora Beacon-News, "Fox Valley election officials on federal investigation: 'We have nothing to hide'," 7 July 2017
Formatting, the printing process and quality control irregularities affect value and can launch a collection.

— helen wolt, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Stamp club celebrates 50 years of collecting," 26 June 2017
Don't look just for bumps, but for any irregularities.

— emma baty, Redbook, "This Woman Thought Her Freckles Were Just From the Sun, But They Turned Out to Be Cancer," 8 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'irregularity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of irregularity

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

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First Known Use: 14th century

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IRREGULARITY Defined for English Language Learners

irregularity

noun

Definition of irregularity for English Language Learners

: the quality or state of being irregular
: something that is irregular
: something that is not usual or proper and that usually indicates dishonest behavior