Regular — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈre-gyə-lər/ reg·u·lar

Meaning & Definition of Regular

Regular (adjective)

  1. constituted, conducted, scheduled, or done in conformity with established or prescribed usages, rules, or discipline
  2. recurring, attending, or functioning at fixed, uniform, or normal intervals
  3. orderly, methodical

Regular (noun)

  1. one who is regular
  2. one who is usually present or participating; especially, a long-standing regular customer
  3. one who can be trusted or depended on

Regular (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. appearing or occurring repeatedly from time to time

    "what with one or another of our pets having problems, we've been regular visitors at the animal hospital"

    similar: constant, frequent, habitual, periodic, periodical, repeated, steady
    related: continual, intermittent, recurrent, recurring, cyclic, around-the-clock, hourly, round-the-clock, 24-7, chronic, confirmed, inveterate, expected, usual
    opposite: inconstant, infrequent, irregular
    near: episodic, occasional, unexpected, unusual

  2. following a set method, arrangement, or pattern

    "he's followed a regular schedule for almost 20 years: up by 5, in bed by 10"

    similar: methodical, neat, orderly, organized, systematic, systematized
    related: ordered, regularized, standardized, structured, accurate, clocklike, correct, exact, precise, detailed, specific
    opposite: disorganized, haphazard, hit-or-miss, immethodical, irregular, nonsystematic, patternless, planless, systemless, unsystematic
    near: chaotic, disordered, disorderly, shambolic (chiefly British), unordered

  3. following or agreeing with established form, custom, or rules

    "thought about having a nontraditional wedding but in the end went with a regular ceremony instead"

    similar: ceremonial, ceremonious, conventional, formal, orthodox, routine
    related: authorized, certified, official, sanctioned, accepted, correct, decorous, genteel, nice, polite, proper, respectable, seemly, formalistic, ritual, ritualistic, methodical, orderly, systematic
    opposite: casual, freewheeling, informal, irregular, unceremonious, unconventional, unorthodox
    near: unauthorized, unofficial, graceless, improper, inappropriate, incorrect, indecorous, inept, infelicitous, unapt, unbecoming, unfit, unhappy, unseemly, unsuitable

  4. having no exceptions or restrictions

    "your room is a regular sty, and you need to clean it before you can go to the movies"

    similar: absolute, all-out, arrant, blank, blooming (chiefly British), bodacious (Southern & Midland), categorical, clean, complete, consummate, crashing, damn, damned, dead, deadly, definite, downright, dreadful, fair, flat, flat-out, out-and-out, outright, perfect, plumb, profound, pure, rank, sheer, simple, stark, stone, straight-out, thorough, thoroughgoing, total, unadulterated, unalloyed, unconditional, unmitigated, unqualified, utter, very
    related: authentic, classic, genuine, real, veritable, constant, endless, eternal, perpetual, undying, unremitting, extreme, unrestricted, confirmed, habitual, hopeless, inveterate, extraordinary, frightful, horrible, huge, main, superlative, supreme, surpassing, terrible, terrific
    near: doubtful, dubious, equivocal, qualified, questionable, restricted, uncertain

  5. having or showing the qualities associated with the members of a particular group or kind

    "tantrums aren't his regular behavior"

    "was just a regular guy who preferred hanging out with friends"

    similar: archetypal, average, characteristic, normal, representative, standard, true, typical
    related: common, commonplace, conventional, customary, everyday, ordinary, usual, wonted, workaday, classic, textbook, vintage, expected, familiar, habitual, predictable, routine, unexceptional, unremarkable, predominant, preponderant
    opposite: aberrant, abnormal, anomalous, atypical, deviant, irregular, nonrepresentative, nontypical, untypical
    near: uncommon, unconventional, uncustomary, unusual, unwonted, distinctive, especial, exceptional, extraordinary, infrequent, noteworthy, rare, remarkable, singular, special, unexpected, unfamiliar, unique, unpredictable, eccentric, idiosyncratic, nonconformist, peculiar, unknown, unorthodox, curious, erratic, funky, funny, odd, oddball, offbeat, outlandish, quirky, screwy, strange, wacky, way-out, bizarre, fantastic, far-out, freak, freakish, kooky, out-of-the-way, outrageous, outré, unnatural, weird, wild

Regular (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a person engaged in military service

    "throughout the war, the regulars were supplemented by corps of volunteers and militiamen"

    similar: dogface, fighter, legionary, legionnaire, man-at-arms, serviceman, soldier, trooper, warrior
    related: servicewoman, carabineer, cavalier, cavalryman, cuirassier, dragoon, doughboy, footman, foot soldier, grunt, infantryman, commando, raider, jarhead (slang), marine, ranger, artilleryman, cannoneer, gunner, mortarman, musketeer, rifleman, archer, crossbowman, lancer, pikeman, spearman, Confederate, Continental, Federal, GI, guardsman, militiaman, minuteman, counterguerrilla, guerrilla, irregular, paramilitary, partisan, combatant, noncombatant, lifer, veteran, warhorse, conscript, draftee, enrollee, recruit, reservist, champion, knight, digger (chiefly Australian & New Zealand), gallowglass, gendarme
    opposite: civilian

  2. someone who regularly spends time in a particular place

    "the coffeehouse regulars were put out by the interlopers occupying their usual table"

    similar: denizen, familiar, frequenter, habitué, haunter, rat
    related: client, customer, guest, patron, addict, aficionado, buff, bug, devotee, enthusiast, fan, fanatic, fancier, fiend, freak, lover, maniac, nut

Related Entry: Basis (noun)

Basis is a different word from Regular. The synonyms below are for basis, not for regular.

  1. an immaterial thing upon which something else rests

    "the sole basis for the rumor is someone's overactive imagination"

    similar: base, bedrock, bottom, cornerstone, footing, foundation, ground, groundwork, keystone, root, underpinning, warp, warp and woof
    related: anchorage, bed, brace, bulwark, buttress, framework, infrastructure, mount, prop, shore, stay, substratum, substructure, support, assumption, justification, premise, presumption, presupposition, rationale, supposition, theory, thesis, warrant, backbone, center, core, eye, focus, heart, hub, kernel, nucleus, seat, essence, quintessence, soul, touchstone

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Regular

The most common words with a similar meaning to Regular:

Chiefly British: blooming
Southern & Midland: bodacious
constant, frequent, habitual, periodic, periodical, repeated, steady, methodical, neat, orderly, organized, systematic, systematized, ceremonial, ceremonious, conventional, formal, orthodox, routine, absolute, all-out, arrant, blank, categorical, clean, complete, consummate, crashing, damn, damned, dead, deadly, definite, downright, dreadful, fair, flat, flat-out, out-and-out, outright

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Regular

Words with the opposite meaning of Regular:

inconstant, infrequent, irregular, disorganized, haphazard, hit-or-miss, immethodical, nonsystematic, patternless, planless, systemless, unsystematic, casual, freewheeling, informal, unceremonious, unconventional, unorthodox, aberrant, abnormal, anomalous, atypical, deviant, nonrepresentative, nontypical, untypical, civilian

Related Words for Regular

continual, intermittent, recurrent, recurring, cyclic, around-the-clock, hourly, round-the-clock, 24-7, chronic, confirmed, inveterate, expected, usual, ordered, regularized, standardized, structured, accurate, clocklike, correct, exact, precise, detailed, specific, authorized, certified, official, sanctioned, accepted

Near Antonyms of Regular

episodic, occasional, unexpected, unusual, chaotic, disordered, disorderly, shambolic, unordered, unauthorized, unofficial, graceless, improper, inappropriate, incorrect, indecorous, inept, infelicitous, unapt, unbecoming, unfit, unhappy, unseemly, unsuitable, doubtful, dubious, equivocal, qualified, questionable, restricted

Origin & Etymology of Regular

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

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Regular

Words & Phrases Containing Regular

regular solid, regular coffee, regular customer, canon regular, at regular intervals, in regular use

Frequently Asked Questions about Regular

What does "Regular" mean?

"Regular" means constituted, conducted, scheduled, or done in conformity with established or prescribed usages, rules, or discipline. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: constituted, conducted, scheduled, or done in conformity with established or prescribed usages, rules, or discipline. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Regular"?

Other words for "Regular" include constant, frequent, habitual, periodic, periodical, repeated, steady and methodical. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Regular" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Regular"?

There are 234 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Regular". Common alternatives include constant, frequent, habitual, periodic, periodical, repeated, steady, methodical, neat and orderly.

What is the opposite of "Regular"?

Antonyms of "Regular" include inconstant, infrequent, irregular, disorganized, haphazard, hit-or-miss, immethodical and nonsystematic. Near antonyms include episodic, occasional, unexpected and unusual.

How do you use "Regular" in a sentence?

Examples of "Regular" in a sentence: "what with one or another of our pets having problems, we've been regular visitors at the animal hospital"; "he's followed a regular schedule for almost 20 years: up by 5, in bed by 10"; "thought about having a nontraditional wedding but in the end went with a regular ceremony instead".

Is "Regular" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Regular" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Regular" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Regular" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Regular"?

"Regular" is pronounced /ˈre-gyə-lər/ and divided into syllables as reg·u·lar.