Is *Irregardless a Word? | Definition & Spelling

Regardless is an adverb meaning ‘despite everything’. It’s often used as a transition word at the start of a sentence to change the topic.

‘Irregardless’ is sometimes used instead of regardless. While ‘irregardless’ may be used in informal contexts, it is considered nonstandard and should be avoided in formal or academic writing.

A Scribbr Grammar Check can help make sure you’re using words like ‘regardless’ correctly in your writing.

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Regardless of

Regardless can also be used as part of the prepositional phrase regardless of meaning ‘heedless of’ or ‘careless of’. ‘Irregardless of’ is never correct.

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If you want to know more about commonly confused words, definitions, common mistakes, and differences between US and UK spellings, make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.

Frequently asked questions

Is it ‘irregardless’ or ‘regardless’?

‘Irregardless’ is often used to mean regardless. However, ‘irregardless’ is considered a nonstandard word, and it should be avoided in formal or academic writing.

‘Irregardless’ is often seen as incorrect because it adds the prefix ‘ir-‘, which usually expresses negation, but actually means the same thing as regardless, not the opposite. While you may hear people say ‘irregardless’, it’s almost never encountered in published writing.

What is a synonym for ‘regardless’?

Some synonyms and near synonyms of regardless include:

• Anyway
• In any case
• Nevertheless
• Nonetheless

Our Paraphrasing Tool can help you find even more synonyms for ‘regardless’.