regardless

Q: Does 'irregardless' mean the same thing as 'regardless'?

Yes. We define irregardless as "regardless." Many people find irregardless to be a nonsensical word, as the ir - prefix usually functions to indicate negation; however, in this case it appears to function as an intensifier. Similar ir - words, while rare, do exist in English, including irremediless ("remediless"), irresistless ("resistless") and irrelentlessly ("relentlessly).

Q: Is 'irregardless' slang?

We label irregardless as “nonstandard” rather than “slang.” When a word is nonstandard it means it is “not conforming in pronunciation, grammatical construction, idiom, or word choice to the usage generally characteristic of educated native speakers of a language.” Irregardless is a long way from winning general acceptance as a standard English word. For that reason, it is best to use regardless instead.

adverb

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Definition of regardless

(Entry 1 of 2)

: despite everything went ahead with their plans regardless

regardless

adjective

re·gard·less | \ ri-ˈgärd-ləs

Definition of regardless (Entry 2 of 2)

: heedless, careless

Other Words from regardless Synonyms Frequently Asked Questions About regardless More Example Sentences Learn More about regardless

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Synonyms for regardless

Synonyms: Adverb

anyhow,
anyway,
anyways
[chiefly dialect],
whatever

Frequently Asked Questions About regardless

Is irregardless a word?

Yes. It may not be a word that you like, or a word that you would use in a term paper, but irregardless certainly is a word. It has been in use for well over 200 years, employed by a large number of people across a wide geographic range and with a consistent meaning. That is why we, and well-nigh every other dictionary of modern English, define this word. Remember that a definition is not an endorsement of a word’s use.

Does irregardless mean the same thing as regardless?

Yes. We define irregardless as "regardless." Many people find irregardless to be a nonsensical word, as the ir- prefix usually functions to indicate negation; however, in this case it appears to function as an intensifier. Similar ir- words, while rare, do exist in English, including irremediless ("remediless"), irresistless ("resistless") and irrelentlessly ("relentlessly).

Is irregardless slang?

We label irregardless as “nonstandard” rather than “slang.” When a word is nonstandard it means it is “not conforming in pronunciation, grammatical construction, idiom, or word choice to the usage generally characteristic of educated native speakers of a language.” Irregardless is a long way from winning general acceptance as a standard English word. For that reason, it is best to use regardless instead.

Examples of regardless in a Sentence

Adverb the weather looked bad, but they were resolved to go on with their picnic regardless

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb But regardless, all three cases demonstrate how harmless acts can result in a violation. — Jon Blau, The Indianapolis Star, "IU athletes run afoul of current NIL rules as NCAA waits to make beneficial changes," 7 May 2021 Except in this story, there are actual victims: the people who hold debt that the government doesn’t realistically expect to collect in full, but who are bled for payment regardless. — Alex Pareene, The New Republic, "The Real-Life Victims of Democrats’ Irrational Deficit Paranoia," 5 May 2021 But regardless, the title is still up for the taking for Arthur and fellow remaining contestants Grace Kinstler, Willie Spence, Caleb Kennedy, Casey Bishop, Hunter Metts and Chayce Beckham. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "'American Idol' Fans Are “Done” Watching After the Show’s “Big, Big Mistake” on Sunday," 3 May 2021 So that’s what the name of the album was going to be regardless. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, "How Shelley, Formerly Known as D.R.A.M., Found His True Voice," 30 Apr. 2021 Plus, the guidance from public health experts has changed over time — and while those experts note that the guidance simply changes as more is learned about the virus, the changes can be stressful regardless. — Emily Brindley, courant.com, "Even after a COVID-19 vaccination, pandemic anxiety may persist. Here’s how you can cope as Connecticut reopens.," 26 Apr. 2021 Under the new rule, Quinerly would have been eligible to play the 2019-20 season regardless. — Mike Rodak | Mrodak@al.com, al, "Nate Oats: Alabama has been on ‘positive side’ of transfer portal," 16 Apr. 2021 Megapixels create a larger image, but since both webcams work in low light and feature autofocus, the visual quality will be the same regardless. — Kevin Juhasz, chicagotribune.com, "What is the best Logitech webcam?," 10 Apr. 2021 Harrar and Durham are expected to be graduate transfers next season and would be able to play right away regardless; Walker, however, is a sophomore and would need to sit out 2021-22 under current transfer rules. — Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, "Why Michigan State basketball's transfer potential isn't as simple as it seems," 18 Mar. 2021

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