What does "regular" mean?
A member of the British Army (as opposed to a member of the Territorial Army or Reserve).
Regular
/ˈrɛɡ.(j)ʊ.lə(r)/ adj, adv, noun, slang
adj, adv, noun, slang ·Top 500 ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A member of the British Army (as opposed to a member of the Territorial Army or Reserve).
- Grammar: regular is listed as adj, adv, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: steady, absolute, academic consistency, acceptable.
- Useful contrasts: extraordinary, goofy, irregular.
- Usage evidence: You must practice it at regular intervals.
How to use "regular"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "regular" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "regular" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "regular" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "regular" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "regular" is acting as adj, adv, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "steady" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "regular", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A member of the British Army (as opposed to a member of the Territorial Army or Reserve).
- 2 a garment size for persons of average height and weight wordnet
- 3 A frequent, routine visitor to an establishment.
"Bartenders usually know their regulars by name."
- 4 a regular patron wordnet
- 5 A member of the armed forces or police force.
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 a dependable follower (especially in party politics) wordnet
- 7 A member of the armed forces or police force.; Synonym of regular serviceman; a member of the Singapore Armed Forces who has signed on, i.e., chosen to work full-time beyond their required length of service in the military. Singapore
"Boss, this is the situation. They were regulars in the army. They’ve left the army and are taxi drivers now. He was a commando and he was a state boxer. They don’t earn much and there’s no end."
- 8 a soldier in the regular army wordnet
- 9 A frequent customer, client or business partner.
"This gentleman was one of the architect's regulars."
- 10 A character who appears in every episode of a TV series; a member of the regular cast.
"When it comes to regulars, some shows feature ensemble casts in which all the characters are more or less equal and the focus of the show shifts from one member of the ensemble to another from episode to episode."
- 11 A coffee with one cream and one sugar. Canada
- 12 Anything that is normal or standard.
"You separate the marbles by color until you have four groups, but then you notice that some of the marbles are regulars, some are shooters, and some are peewees."
- 13 A member of a religious order who has taken the three ordinary vows.
- 14 A number for each year, giving, added to the concurrents, the number of the day of the week on which the Paschal full moon falls.
- 15 A fixed number for each month serving to ascertain the day of the week, or the age of the moon, on the first day of any month.
Adjective
- 1 Bound by religious rule; belonging to a monastic or religious order (often as opposed to secular).
"regular clergy, in distinction from the secular clergy"
- 2 Having a constant pattern; showing evenness of form or appearance.
- 3 Both equilateral and equiangular; having all sides of the same length, and all (corresponding) angles of the same size
- 4 Whose faces are all congruent regular polygons, equally inclined to each other.
- 5 Demonstrating a consistent set of rules; showing order, evenness of operation or occurrence.
"April may be the cruellest month, but I am planning to render it civilised and to take my antibiotics in a regular manner."
Show 15 more definitions
- 6 Of a moon or other satellite: following a relatively close and prograde orbit with little inclination or eccentricity.
- 7 Well-behaved, orderly; restrained (of a lifestyle etc.). archaic
- 8 Happening at constant (especially short) intervals.
"He made regular visits to go see his mother."
- 9 Following a set or common pattern; according to the normal rules of a given language. plural
""Walked" is the past tense of the regular verb "to walk"."
- 10 Having the expected characteristics or appearances; normal, ordinary, standard. US
"“I don’t see how you can write and act such splendid things, Jo. You’re a regular Shakespeare!” exclaimed Beth, who firmly believed that her sisters were gifted with wonderful genius in all things."
- 11 Permanently organised; being part of a set professional body of troops.
- 12 Having bowel movements or menstrual periods at constant intervals in the expected way.
"Maintaining a high-fibre diet keeps you regular."
- 13 Exemplary; excellent example of; utter, downright. colloquial
"a regular genius; a regular John Bull"
- 14 Having all the parts of the same kind alike in size and shape.
"a regular flower; a regular sea urchin"
- 15 Isometric.
- 16 Riding with the left foot forward.
- 17 Such that every set in its domain is both outer regular and inner regular. not-comparable
- 18 Noetherian and such that the minimal number of generators of the maximal ideal is equal to the Krull dimension of the ring. not-comparable
- 19 Such that the local ring at every point is regular. not-comparable
- 20 A von Neumann regular: such that every left module (over the given ring) is flat. not-comparable, obsolete
Adjective
- 1 in accord with regular practice or procedure wordnet
- 2 not constipated wordnet
- 3 relating to a person who does something regularly wordnet
- 4 officially full-time wordnet
- 5 not deviating from what is normal wordnet
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle wordnet
- 7 (of solids) having clear dimensions that can be measured; volume can be determined with a suitable geometric formula wordnet
- 8 (used of the military) belonging to or engaged in by legitimate army forces wordnet
- 9 conforming to a standard or pattern wordnet
- 10 occurring at fixed intervals wordnet
- 11 regularly scheduled for fixed times wordnet
- 12 symmetrically arranged wordnet
- 13 often used as intensifiers wordnet
Adverb
- 1 Regularly, on a regular basis. archaic, dialectal, nonstandard, not-comparable
"'And if the knowledge wasn'y well come by, why, you might ha' made up for it by coming to church reg'lar.'"
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"You must practice it at regular intervals."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "regular"?
Common synonyms include: steady, absolute, academic consistency, acceptable, accepted, accordant.
How do you use "regular" in a sentence?
You must practice it at regular intervals.
How do you pronounce "regular"?
Pronounced /ˈrɛɡ.(j)ʊ.lə(r)/.
Etymology
From Middle English reguler, from Anglo-Norman reguler, Middle French reguler, regulier, and their source, Latin rēgulāris (“continuing rules for guidance”), from rēgula (“rule”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- (“move in a straight line”).