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.

1 of 2

adverb

re·gard·less ri-ˈgärd-ləs

Synonyms of regardless next

: despite everything

went ahead with their plans regardless

regardless

2 of 2

adjective

: heedless, careless

regardlessly adverb

regardlessness noun

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Your brand new Tatcha products will stunning on your vanity regardless, but the Obon Tray adds that wow factor to any shelfie. —

Annie Blackman, Allure, 28 Nov. 2023 The company’s origin story differs, but the sisters are at the core regardless. —

Emily Krauser, Peoplemag, 28 Nov. 2023 Gross domestic product contracted in the third quarter in the currency union, figures confirmed Tuesday, but employment levels rose regardless, continuing a trend seen in the previous quarter. —

Wsj Pro, WSJ, 14 Nov. 2023 The days that don’t make the 70s are going to be delightful on the whole, regardless. —

Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 4 Nov. 2023 But regardless, our determination to get people back is manifested every single day in our efforts to do just that. —

Jennifer Pereira, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2023 But Israel’s counterattack on Gaza, its threats to mount a ground invasion and America’s tight embrace of its most important Mideast ally, regardless, have prompted cries of hypocrisy. —

Neil MacFarquhar, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2023 Children with jammed fingers should also seek medical attention regardless, as damage to the growth plate of their finger bone could lead to lasting damage or impeded growth. —

Allie Conti, Field & Stream, 19 Oct. 2023 The Israel Defense Forces will be fighting street to street; Hamas will not hold them off for long regardless. —

Audrey Kurth Cronin, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2023 See More

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