Definition of 'regular'
Word forms: plural regulars
1. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
Regular events have equal amounts of time between them, so that they happen, for example,
at the same time each day or each week.
regularity (regjʊlærɪti
) uncountable noun
The system will provide details of loans, their size, regularity of payment and their
status. [+ of]
3. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
If you are, for example, a regular customer at a shop or a regular visitor to a place, you go there often.
4. countable noun
5. adjective
You use regular when referring to the thing, person, time, or place that is usually used by someone.
For example, someone's regular place is the place where they usually sit.
6. adjective
A regular rhythm consists of a series of sounds or movements with equal periods of time between
them.
7. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Regular is used to mean 'normal'.
[mainly US]
9. adjective
A regular pattern or arrangement consists of a series of things with equal spaces between them.
10. adjective
11. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Regular troops are professional soldiers who are a permanent part of an official national army.
12. adjective
In grammar, a regular verb, noun, or adjective inflects in the same way as most verbs, nouns, or adjectives
in the language.
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
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British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
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Word Frequency
regular in British English
adjective
1.
normal, customary, or usual
4.
following a set rule or normal practice; methodical or orderly
7. (prenominal)
officially qualified or recognized
he's not a regular doctor
10.
denoting or relating to the personnel or units of the permanent military services
a regular soldier
the regular army
11.
12.
(of the formation, inflections, etc, of a word) following the usual pattern of formation in a language
13. mathematics
a.
b.
(of a polyhedron) having identical regular polygons as faces that make identical angles with each other
c.
(of a prism) having regular polygons as bases
d.
e. another name for analytic (sense 5)
15. (postpositive)
subject to the rule of an established religious order or community
canons regular
16. US politics
a regular candidate
regular policies
noun
18.
a professional long-term serviceman or -woman in a military unit
19. informal
a person who does something regularly, such as attending a theatre or patronizing a shop
20.
a member of a religious order or congregation, as contrasted with a secular
21. US politics
a party member loyal to the leadership, organization, platform, etc, of his or her
party
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
regularity (ˌreguˈlarity) noun
regularly (ˈregularly)
adverb
Word origin
C14: from Old French reguler, from Latin rēgulāris of a bar of wood or metal, from rēgula ruler, model
Word Frequency
regular in American English
adjective
1.
conforming in form, build, or arrangement to a rule, principle, type, standard, etc.; orderly;
symmetrical
regular features
2.
characterized by conformity to a fixed principle or procedure
3.
a.
usual; customary
his regular seat
b. US
not a substitute; established
the regular quarterback
6.
conforming to a standard or to a generally accepted rule or mode of conduct; proper
7.
properly qualified
a regular doctor
11. Botany
having all similar parts of the same shape and size; symmetrical
said of flowers13. Grammar
conforming to the usual pattern in inflection, formation, etc.; specif., weak (sense 15)
14. Ancient Mathematics
a.
having all angles and sides equal, as a polygon
b.
having identical regular polygons for all its faces arranged in the same way around
all vertices
said of a polyhedronc.
uniform with respect to a certain characteristic
15. Military
a.
designating or of the permanently constituted, or standing, army of a country
b.
16. US, Politics
designating, of, or loyal to the recognized party leadership, candidates, etc.
noun
17. Ecclesiastical
a member of a regular religious institute
18.
a member of a regular army
20.
a clothing size for men of average height
22. US, Politics
a person who is loyal to the recognized party leadership, candidates, etc.
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈnormal, ˈsteady
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
regularly (ˈregularly)
adverb
Word Frequency
regular in American English
(ˈreɡjələr)
adjective
1.
usual; normal; customary
to put something in its regular place
2.
evenly or uniformly arranged; symmetrical
regular teeth
3.
characterized by fixed principle, uniform procedure, etc.
regular income
5.
rhythmical
regular breathing
7.
having regular menses or bowel movements
11.
conforming to some accepted rule, discipline, etc.
12.
carried out in accordance with an accepted principle or rule; formally correct
a regular session of the court
13.
qualified to engage in an occupation or profession; legitimate; proper
I suspected the man wasn't a regular doctor
14. informal
17. Math
a.
governed by one law throughout
b. (of a polygon)
having all sides and angles equal
d. (of a topological space)
having the property that, corresponding to each point and a closed set not containing
the point, there are two disjoint open sets, one containing the point, the other containing the closed set
18. Military
noting or belonging to the permanently organized, or standing, army of a state
19. International Law
noting soldiers recognized as legitimate combatants in warfare
20. Ecclesiast
subject to a religious rule, or belonging to a religious or monastic order (opposed to secular)
regular clergy
21. U.S. Politics
of, pertaining to, or selected by the recognized agents of a political party
the regular ticket
22. (of coffee)
containing an average amount of milk or cream
noun
SYNONYMS 2. even, formal, orderly, uniform. 4. habitual, established, fixed. 8. systematic.23.
a long-standing or habitual customer or client
The restaurant can always find tables for its regulars
25. Military
a professional soldier
26. U.S. Politics
a party member who faithfully stands by his or her party
27.
a size of garment designed for men of average build
28.
a garment, as a suit or overcoat, in this size
29.
an athlete who plays in most of the games, usually from the start
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
regularity (ˌreɡjəˈlærɪti) or regularness noun
Examples of 'regular' in a sentence
regular
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In other languages
regular
British English: regular
/ˈrɛɡjʊlə/ ADJECTIVE
Regular things happen at equal intervals, or involve things happening at equal intervals.
Close your eyes and let your breathing become regular.
- American English: regular /ˈrɛgyələr/
- Arabic: مُنْتَظِم
- Brazilian Portuguese: regular
- Chinese: 经常的
- Croatian: redovit
- Czech: pravidelný
- Danish: regelmæssig
- Dutch: regelmatig
- European Spanish: regular
- Finnish: tavallinen
- French: régulier
- German: normal
- Greek: τακτικός
- Italian: regolare
- Japanese: 定期的な
- Korean: 규칙적인
- Norwegian: ordinær
- Polish: regularny
- European Portuguese: regular
- Romanian: regulat
- Russian: обычный
- Latin American Spanish: regular
- Swedish: regelbunden
- Thai: เป็นประจำ
- Turkish: düzenli
- Ukrainian: регулярний
- Vietnamese: thông thường
British English: regular
NOUN /ˈrɛɡjʊlə/
The regulars at a place or in a team are the people who often go to the place or are often in the team.
Regulars at his local pub have set up a fund to help out.
- American English: regular /ˈrɛgyələr/
- Brazilian Portuguese: habitual
- Chinese: 常客/正式队员
- European Spanish: cliente habitual
- French: habitué
- German: Stammkunde
- Italian: cliente abituale
- Japanese: 常連
- Korean: 단골
- European Portuguese: habitual
- Latin American Spanish: cliente habitual
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