regular

 

When something is done as part of a routine or on a schedule, the activity is regular. This adjective is applied to many situations:

  • Our school follows a regular schedule every day.
  • Regular maintenance of your car will keep it running properly.
  • Joe makes regular visits to the doctor every year.
  • We have a regular place to meet every day.
  • He seems like a regular guy. (a regular guy = an average person, a good person)

The word "regularly" is a popular adverb. It’s four syllables (four sounds), and it’s difficult for some people to pronounce because of the "r" and "l" sounds:

regularly

  • This class meets regularly on Mondays and Wednesdays.
  • We regularly go to the beach on the weekends.
  • Joe visits the doctor regularly.
  • Nadia regularly does her grocery shopping at Jewel, but today she’s at Dominick’s.
  • They regularly eat dinner at 6:00 every evening.

The opposite of the word "regular" is "irregular."

  • Gloria has an irregular schedule. It changes from week to week.
  • This shirt was marked down to five dollars because it’s irregular. (irregular = defective merchandise)

regular time for lunch

He regularly eats lunch at noon.

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This page was first published on July 11, 2012. It was updated on March 31, 2015.