• Regular

    Pronunciation

    • UK IPA: /ˈɹɛɡ.jÊŠ.lÉ™/, /ˈɹɛɡ.jÉ™.lÉ™/
    • US IPA: /ˈɹɛɡ.jÉ™.lÉš/

    Origin

    From Anglo-Norman reguler, Middle French reguler, regulier, and their source, Latin rēgulāris ("continuing rules for guidance"), from rēgula ("rule"), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *reg- ("move in a straight line").

    Full definition of regular

    Adjective

    regular

    1. (Christianity) Bound by religious rule; belonging to a monastic or religious order (often as opposed to secular). from 14th c.
      • 2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin 2003, p. 201:A quarter of a million strong in 1680, the clergy was only half as large in 1789. The unpopular regular clergy were the worst affected.
    2. Having a constant pattern; showing evenness of form or appearance. from 15th c.
    3. (geometry, of a polygon) Having all sides of the same length, and all (corresponding) angles of the same size from 16th c.
    4. (geometry, of a polyhedron) Whose faces are all congruent regular polygons, equally inclined to each other.
    5. Demonstrating a consistent set of rules; showing order, evenness of operation or occurrence. from 16th c.
      • 2011, AL Kennedy, The Guardian, 12 Apr 2011:April may be the cruellest month, but I am planning to render it civilised and to take my antibiotics in a regular manner.
    6. (now rare) Well-behaved, orderly; restrained (of a lifestyle etc.). from 16th c.
    7. Happening at constant (especially short) intervals. from 17th c.
      He made regular visits to go see his mother.
    8. (grammar, of a verb, plural, etc) Following a set or common pattern; according to the normal rules of a given language. from 17th c.
      The verb "to walk" is regular.
    9. (chiefly US) Having the expected characteristics or appearances; normal, ordinary, standard. from 17th c.
      • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, Mr. Pratt's Patients Chapter 1, For a spell we done pretty well. Then there came a reg'lar terror of a sou'wester same as you don't get one summer in a thousand, and blowed the shanty flat and ripped about half of the weir poles out of the sand.
    10. (chiefly military) Permanently organised; being part of a set professional body of troops. from 17th c.
    11. Having bowel movements or menstrual periods at constant intervals in the expected way. from 18th c.
      Maintaining a high-fibre diet keeps you regular.
    12. (colloquial) Exemplary; excellent example of; utter, downright. from 18th c.
      a regular genius; a regular John Bull
    13. Belonging to a monastic order or community.regular clergy, in distinction from the secular clergy
    14. (botany, zoology) Having all the parts of the same kind alike in size and shape.a regular flower; a regular sea urchin
    15. (crystallography) isometric
    16. (snowboarding) Riding with the left foot forward. BBC Sport, "Sochi 2014: A jargon-busting guide to the halfpipe", 11 February 2014
    17. (analysis, not comparable, of a Borel measure) Such that every set in its domain is both outer regular and inner regular.

    Synonyms

    Antonyms

    Related terms

    Terms which are etymologically related to "regular"

    Coordinate terms

    Noun

    regular

    (plural regulars)
    1. A member of the British Army (as opposed to a member of the Territorial Army or Reserve).
    2. A frequent, routine visitor to an establishment.Bartenders usually know their regulars by name.
    3. A frequent customer, client or business partner.This gentleman was one of the architect's regulars.
    4. (Canada) A coffee with one cream and one sugar.
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