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 almost 200 years, and is 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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Adverb

By providing that access, USAID may have violated the Privacy Act of 1974, three experts on the law told ProPublica, regardless if the engineers were government employees at the time. —

Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 9 Feb. 2025 What is the point of the enhancements to the academy setup if the club’s best players are going to be picked off like this regardless? —

Matt Woosnam, The Athletic, 8 Feb. 2025 And though all eyes are on the QB with the Giants’ No. 3 selection, Schoen knows the team is in a good position regardless. —

Charlotte Carroll, The Athletic, 29 Jan. 2025 The Rams likely have to spend a top pick on an offensive tackle regardless with Havenstein being toward the end of his career. —

Adam Grosbard, Orange County Register, 28 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for regardless

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

1872, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1578, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of regardless was in 1578

See more words from the same year

Podcast

Cite this Entry

Style

“Regardless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regardless. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.

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Kids Definition

regardless

1 of 2 adjective

re·gard·less ri-ˈgärd-ləs

: having or taking no regard : heedless, careless

regardless of what might happen

regardless

2 of 2 adverb

: in spite of everything

Last Updated: 12 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences

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regardless

adverb

adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Synonyms

Examples of regardless in a Sentence

Word History

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near regardless

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition