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)

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.