irregardless

adverb

ir·​re·​gard·​less ˌir-i-ˈgärd-ləs How to pronounce irregardless (audio)
nonstandard
: regardless
I told them that irregardless of what you read in books, they's some members of the theatrical profession that occasionally visits the place where they sleep.—Ring Lardner
Is irregardless a word?: Usage Guide

Irregardless was popularized in dialectal American speech in the early 20th century. Its increasingly widespread spoken use called it to the attention of usage commentators as early as 1927. The most frequently repeated remark about it is that "there is no such word." There is such a word, however. It is still used primarily in speech, although it can be found from time to time in edited prose. Its reputation has not risen over the years, and it is still a long way from general acceptance. Use regardless instead.

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.

Word History

Etymology

probably blend of irrespective and regardless

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of irregardless was in 1847

Dictionary Entries Near irregardless

irreg

irregardless

irregenerate

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Irregardless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irregardless. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

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