irregularity


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ir·reg·u·lar·i·ty

 (ĭ-rĕg′yə-lăr′ĭ-tē)
n. pl. ir·reg·u·lar·i·ties
1. The quality or state of being irregular.
2. Something irregular: found the firm's books riddled with irregularities.
3. Constipation.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

irregularity

(ɪˌrɛɡjʊˈlærɪtɪ)
n, pl -ties
1. the state or quality of being irregular
2. something irregular, such as a bump in a smooth surface
3. a breach of a convention or normal procedure
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ir•reg•u•lar•i•ty

(ɪˌrɛg yəˈlær ɪ ti)

n., pl. -ties.
1. the quality or state of being irregular.
2. something irregular.
3. a breach of rules, customs, etc.
4. occasional mild constipation.
[1275–1325; Middle English < Old French < Medieval Latin]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Regularity/Irregularity

 
  1. Balance as a tail balances a kite —Anon
  2. Balanced as the scales of justice —Anon
  3. [A cat’s purring] intermittent as a walkie-talkie —Lorrie Moore
  4. Irregular as French verbs —Anon
  5. Random, like love’s choices —Patricia Hampl
  6. Regular as a clock —Slogan for Serutan laxative, Healthaids, Inc.
  7. Regular as a heartbeat —Mary Hedin
  8. Regular as a metronome —Edward Hoagland
  9. Regular as a motor boat —Lee Smith

    A more specific variation: “Regular as the chug-chug of a motor boat.”

  10. Regular as sun and tide —Wallace Stegner
  11. Regular as the moon makes the tides —Henry James
  12. Rhythmic as water —Amy Hempel

    In Hempel’s story, Beg, si tog, Inc, Cont, Rep, it’s the sliding knitting needles that are likened to water.

  13. Scattered like applause during a bad act —Anon
  14. Steadily as a shell secretes its beating leagues of monotone —Hart Crane
  15. Symmetrical as a doily —Betsy Wade, New York Times, May 2, 1986

    The descriptive frame of reference is a tree.

Similes Dictionary, 1st Edition. © 1988 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.irregularity - behavior that breaches the rule or etiquette or custom or moralityirregularity - behavior that breaches the rule or etiquette or custom or morality
misbehavior, misbehaviour, misdeed - improper or wicked or immoral behavior
deviance, deviation - deviate behavior
2.irregularity - not characterized by a fixed principle or rate; at irregular intervals
quality - an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone; "the quality of mercy is not strained"--Shakespeare
inhomogeneity - the quality of being inhomogeneous
fitfulness, jerkiness - the quality of being spasmodic and irregular
intermittence, intermittency - the quality of being intermittent; subject to interruption or periodic stopping
wavering, fluctuation - the quality of being unsteady and subject to changes; "he kept a record of price fluctuations"
haphazardness, stochasticity, randomness, noise - the quality of lacking any predictable order or plan
unevenness, variability - the quality of being uneven and lacking uniformity
unsteadiness - the quality of being unsteady--varying and unpredictable
regularity - the quality of being characterized by a fixed principle or rate; "he was famous for the regularity of his habits"
3.irregularity - an irregular asymmetry in shape; an irregular spatial pattern
asymmetry, dissymmetry, imbalance - (mathematics) a lack of symmetry
4.irregularity - irregular and infrequent or difficult evacuation of the bowelsirregularity - irregular and infrequent or difficult evacuation of the bowels; can be a symptom of intestinal obstruction or diverticulitis
symptom - (medicine) any sensation or change in bodily function that is experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease
dyschezia - difficulty in defecating (usually as a consequence of long continued voluntary suppression of the urge to defecate)
fecal impaction - accumulation of hardened feces in the rectum or lower colon which the person cannot move
obstipation - severe constipation resulting from an obstruction in the intestines
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

irregularity

noun
1. inconsistency, randomness, disorganization, unsteadiness, unpunctuality, haphazardness, disorderliness, lack of method, desultoriness a dangerous irregularity in her heartbeat
2. unevenness, deformity, asymmetry, crookedness, contortion, patchiness, lopsidedness, raggedness, lack of symmetry, spottiness, jaggedness treatment of irregularities of the teeth
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

irregularity

noun
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
عَدَم إنتِظام
nepravidelnostneregulérnost
uregelmæssighed
egyenetlenségrendellenességszabálytalanság
óregla, ójafna
düzensizlikusulsüzlük

irregularity

[ɪˌregjʊˈlærɪtɪ] N
1. (= unevenness) [of shape, surface, features] → irregularidad f
2. (= spasmodic nature) [of attendance, meals, pulse] → irregularidad f
3. (= unorthodox nature) [of behaviour] → irregularidad f
the irregularity of his actions surprised us alllo poco ortodoxo de su forma de actuar nos sorprendió a todos
a number of irregularities were observedse observaron una serie de irregularidades
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

irregularity

[ɪˌrɛgjʊˈlærɪti] n
[heart rate, periods] → irrégularité f
This is likely to produce irregularities of heart rate → Cela produira probablement des irrégularités du pouls., Cela produira probablement des irrégularités du rythme cardiaque.
[shape, size, arrangement] → irrégularité f
(= incorrect practice) → irrégularité f
financial irregularity → des irrégularités financières
procedural irregularity → irrégularité procédurale
There had been some procedural irregularity → Il y avait eu irrégularité procédurale.
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

irregularity

n
(= unevenness)Unregelmäßigkeit f; (of teeth, shape, coastline)Ungleichmäßigkeit f; (of surface)Unebenheit f; (= lack of uniformity)Uneinheitlichkeit f; (of sb’s life)Ungeregeltheit f
(= failure to conform)Unstatthaftigkeit f; (= non-observation of rules)Unvorschriftsmäßigkeit f; (= unlawfulness)Ungesetzlichkeit f; (of marriage)unvorschriftsmäßige Durchführung; (= impropriety: of behaviour) → Ungebührlichkeit f, → Ungehörigkeit f; a slight irregularity in the proceedingsein kleiner Formfehler
(Gram) → Unregelmäßigkeit f
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

irregularity

[ɪˌrɛgjʊˈlærɪtɪ] nirregolarità f inv
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

irregular

(iˈregjulə) adjective
1. not happening etc regularly. His attendance at classes was irregular.
2. not formed smoothly or evenly. irregular handwriting.
3. contrary to rules.
4. (in grammar) not formed etc in the normal way. irregular verbs.
irˈregularly adverb
irˈreguˈlarity (-ˈla-) noun
(plural irreguˈlarities).
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
References in classic literature ?
"With the highest admiration for Poe's genius, and a willingness to let it alone for more than ordinary irregularity, we were led by common report to expect a very capricious attention to his duties, and occasionally a scene of violence and difficulty.
'running-on' of the sense from one line to the next and marked irregularity of pauses.
"What do you mean, silly boy?" she said, as an irregularity in the road threw her soft weight the more fondly upon my arm.
Square offspring has sometimes resulted from a slightly Irregular Triangle; but in almost every such case the Irregularity of the first generation is visited on the third; which either fails to attain the Pentagonal rank, or relapses to the Triangular.] Such a birth requires, as its antecedents, not only a series of carefully arranged intermarriages, but also a long, continued exercise of frugality and self-control on the part of the would-be ancestors of the coming Equilateral, and a patient, systematic, and continuous development of the Isosceles intellect through many generations.
Any culpability which had been imputed to him for negligence and irregularity was removed by the resolution.
Often, speaking with vexation of some failure or irregularity, he would say: "What can one do with our Russian peasants?" and imagined that he could not bear them.
In spite of Vronsky's apparently frivolous life in society, he was a man who hated irregularity. In early youth in the Corps of Pages, he had experienced the humiliation of a refusal, when he had tried, being in difficulties, to borrow money, and since then he had never once put himself in the same position again.
"You naughty: where HAVE you been?"--instead of challenging her own irregularity I found myself arraigned and explaining.
You have heard me speak of my cousine de Maisonrouge, that grande belle femme, who, after having married, en secondes noces--there had been, to tell the truth, some irregularity about her first union--a venerable relic of the old noblesse of Poitou, was left, by the death of her husband, complicated by the indulgence of expensive tastes on an income of 17,000 francs, on the pavement of Paris, with two little demons of daughters to bring up in the path of virtue.
Ever since the accident with her father's horse Tess Durbeyfield, courageous as she naturally was, had been exceedingly timid on wheels; the least irregularity of motion startled her.
But the irregularity of occurrence of stopping-places, coupled with widely varying road conditions, made it necessary to plan, the day before, each day's drive and my work.
Sir Patrick went on unblushingly from one irregularity to another.