regardless

1 of 2

adverb

re·​gard·​less ri-ˈgärd-ləs 

: despite everything

went ahead with their plans regardless

regardless

2 of 2

adjective

: heedless, careless

regardlessly adverb

regardlessness noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Is irregardless a word?

Yes. It may not be a word that you like, or a word that you would use in a term paper, but irregardless certainly is a word. It has been in use for almost 200 years, and is employed by a large number of people across a wide geographic range and with a consistent meaning. That is why we, and well-nigh every other dictionary of modern English, define this word. Remember that a definition is not an endorsement of a word’s use.

Does irregardless mean the same thing as regardless?

Yes. We define irregardless as "regardless." Many people find irregardless to be a nonsensical word, as the ir- prefix usually functions to indicate negation; however, in this case it appears to function as an intensifier. Similar ir- words, while rare, do exist in English, including irremediless ("remediless"), irresistless ("resistless"), and irrelentlessly ("relentlessly").

Is irregardless slang?

We label irregardless as “nonstandard” rather than “slang.” When a word is nonstandard it means it is “not conforming in pronunciation, grammatical construction, idiom, or word choice to the usage generally characteristic of educated native speakers of a language.” Irregardless is a long way from winning general acceptance as a standard English word. For that reason, it is best to use regardless instead.

Synonyms

Adverb

• anyhow
• anyway
• anyways [chiefly dialect]
• whatever

Examples of regardless in a Sentence

Adverb

the weather looked bad, but they were resolved to go on with their picnic regardless

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

But Martinis and his colleagues pressed on regardless, publishing a proof-of-principle experiment (opens a new tab) using five qubits in 2014. —Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 9 Dec. 2024

And, regardless, the science is clear: lead damages the brain and diminishes cognitive function. —Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 4 Dec. 2024

In terms of full-season production, the Cardinals have been a good play regardless, scoring 7.7 PPG, good for 10th in the NFL. —Steve Bradshaw, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024

The saddest part came when Aubrey thanked her dad for going to the effort to throw her a birthday party regardless. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

1872, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1578, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing regardless

• regardless of

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Kids Definition

regardless

1 of 2 adjective

re·​gard·​less ri-ˈgärd-ləs 

: having or taking no regard : heedless, careless

regardless of what might happen

regardless

2 of 2 adverb

: in spite of everything