regular

1 of 2

adjective

reg·​u·​lar ˈre-gyə-lər How to pronounce regular (audio)
ˈre-g(ə-)lər,
 also  ˈrā-
1
: constituted, conducted, scheduled, or done in conformity with established or prescribed usages, rules, or discipline
2
a
: recurring, attending, or functioning at fixed, uniform, or normal intervals
a regular income
a regular churchgoer
regular bowel movements
b
: orderly, methodical
regular habits
3
a
: formed, built, arranged, or ordered according to some established rule, law, principle, or type
b(1)
: both equilateral and equiangular
a regular polygon
(2)
: having faces that are congruent regular polygons and all the polyhedral angles congruent
a regular polyhedron
c
of a flower : having the arrangement of floral parts exhibiting radial symmetry with members of the same whorl similar in form
4
a
: normal, standard: such as
(1)
: absolute, complete
a regular fool
the office seemed like a regular madhouse
(2)
: thinking or behaving in an acceptable, normal, or agreeable manner
was a regular guy
b(1)
: conforming to the normal or usual manner of inflection
(2)
c
of a postage stamp : issued in large numbers over a long period for general use in prepayment of postage
5
: of, relating to, or constituting the permanent standing military force of a state
the regular army
regular soldiers
6
: belonging to a religious order

regular

2 of 2

noun

1
: one who is regular: such as
a
: one who is usually present or participating
especially : a long-standing regular customer
b
: one who can be trusted or depended on
a party regular
c
: a player on an athletic team who usually starts every game
d
: one of the regular clergy
e
: a soldier in a regular army
2
: something of average or medium size
especially : a clothing size designed to fit a person of average height
Choose the Right Synonym for regular

regular, normal, typical, natural mean being of the sort or kind that is expected as usual, ordinary, or average.

regular stresses conformity to a rule, standard, or pattern.

the club's regular monthly meeting

normal implies lack of deviation from what has been discovered or established as the most usual or expected.

normal behavior for a two-year-old

typical implies showing all important traits of a type, class, or group and may suggest lack of strong individuality.

a typical small town

natural applies to what conforms to a thing's essential nature, function, or mode of being.

the natural love of a mother for her child

Examples of regular in a Sentence

Adjective Most days she follows a regular routine. The town holds regular meetings. five regular payments of $100 We made regular use of the pool. Getting regular exercise is important. Exercise has become a regular part of my lifestyle. He is a regular contributor to the magazine. The seedlings were planted in regular rows. The wallpaper has a regular pattern of stripes. Noun They are regulars at the bar. He is a regular on the television show. the regulars on a baseball team “What kind of gas do you put in your car?” “I use regular.” We'll have one large soda and two regulars. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Written and directed in collaboration with regular cinematographer and creative partner Michal Englert, this is a rare close-up of an older trans woman making tough choices in a majority Catholic country that remains legislatively and socially hostile. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Sep. 2023 In total, nearly 6,300 families are currently housed in the state’s shelter system, including nearly 2,700 in hotels that state officials have rented in their entirety because regular shelter beds are full. Mike Damiano, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Sep. 2023 Philadelphia is seeking to return to the Super Bowl after going 14-3 in the 2022 regular season and winning the NFC championship before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs 38-35 in the NFL championship game on Feb. 12. Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 8 Sep. 2023 What: The Cincinnati Reds face off against the St. Louis Cardinals in a regular season MLB matchup. oregonlive, 8 Sep. 2023 The Mercury are currently in last place with two regular season games left, however Griner has appeared to barely skip a beat upon her first season back, making her ninth WNBA All-Star Game and leading Phoenix with 17.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 8 Sep. 2023 During a regular checkup, Allen discovered that her blood sugar levels were higher than normal. Taiia Smart Young, Essence, 8 Sep. 2023 Even when things looked bleak last season, the dominoes fell into the Mercury's favor on the last day of the regular season. Jenna Ortiz, The Arizona Republic, 28 Aug. 2023 The Lions, like every other team around the NFL, are currently in the process of trimming their roster down from the training camp 91 spots to the regular season 53. Andrew Birkle, Detroit Free Press, 27 Aug. 2023
Noun
The divestiture is part of a move to mollify antitrust regulars at the Federal Trade Commission. Kristine De Leon, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Sep. 2023 The difference now, in the wilting days of a once-vibrant season is this: Four regulars (Leody Taveras, Zeke Duran, Travis Jankowski and Jonah Heim) have regressed to the mean after career-year performances. Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, 7 Sep. 2023 The product, which usually goes on sale in January, lets Wendy’s regulars pay $2 for a digital or physical keychain that, when applied to a purchase, entitles the customer to one free Jr. Frosty. Sam Burros, Peoplemag, 6 Sep. 2023 In a nondescript room, twenty-five or so regulars ate nutritious, if uninspired, meals from cardboard trays. Peggy Orenstein, The New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2023 Adam Diener, who owns Vegan Daddy Meats at 569 N. 300 West, said he’s seen a good amount of walk-in traffic since his soft opening in July, and already has regulars. Kolbie Peterson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 4 Sep. 2023 The defense gave up 427 yards, and it is expected that a few regulars on that side of the ball will play Friday. Scooby Axson, USA TODAY, 19 Aug. 2023 Naturally, restaurant regulars are seeing an influx of unfamiliar faces due to the growing number of these reservation apps. Sophie Dweck, Town & Country, 30 July 2023 Its tenacity endeared it to regulars and to its community. Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2023 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English reguler, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin regularis regular, from Latin, of a bar, from regula rule — more at rule

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 6

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of regular was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near regular

Cite this Entry

“Regular.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regular. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

regular

1 of 2 adjective
reg·​u·​lar ˈreg-yə-lər How to pronounce regular (audio)
1
: belonging to a religious community and living by its rules
2
a
: formed, built, arranged, or ordered according to an established rule, law, or type
b
: having all sides or faces equal and all angles equal
a square is a regular polygon
c
: even or balanced in form or structure
especially : having radial symmetry
regular flowers
3
a
: being in the habit of following a method : orderly, methodical
b
: returning or acting at fixed times
4
a
: following established or prescribed uses or rules
b
: being such without any doubt : complete, unmitigated
a regular scoundrel
c
: following the normal or usual manner of changing tense
regular verbs
5
: of, relating to, or being a permanent army of a country
regularly
ˈreg-yə-lər-lē
adverb

regular

2 of 2 noun
1
: a member of the clergy who belongs to a religious community
2
: a soldier in a regular army
3
: a player on an athletic team who usually starts every game

Medical Definition

regular

adjective
reg·​u·​lar ˈreg-yə-lər How to pronounce regular (audio)
1
: having or constituting an isometric system
regular crystals
2
: conforming to what is usual or normal: as
a
: recurring or functioning at fixed or normal intervals
regular bowel movements
b
: having menstrual periods or bowel movements at normal intervals
regularly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on regular

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!