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ErinLindsay

Is There Such a Word as Irregardless in the English Language?

This word just seems like a double negative to me… Is there an appropriate way to use this word? Or does it contridict itself? I used to use it a lot during conversations… but when I thought more about it, it didn’t really make sense. For example… If I were to say “He liked her, irregardless of her sense of humor.” Does it mean the same as… “He liked her, regardless of her sense of humor.”????

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Anonymous

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It is a real English word in that it appears in the Oxford English Dictionary (and thus is allowed in Scrabble lol)

Irregardless is considered nonstandard because of the two negative elements ir- and -less. It was probably formed on the analogy of such words as irrespective, irrelevant, and irreparable. Those who use it, including on occasion educated speakers, may do so from a desire to add emphasis. Irregardless first appeared in the early 20th century and was perhaps popularized by its use in a comic radio program of the 1930s.

EDIT: Well done to jiya for copying my answer word-for-word and claiming he got it from a relative. You must be a true genius.

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Anonymous
Usage Note: Irregardless is a word that many mistakenly believe to be correct usage in formal style, when in fact it is used chiefly in nonstandard speech or casual writing. Coined in the United States in the early 20th century, it has met with a blizzard of condemnation for being an improper yoking of irrespective and regardless and for the logical absurdity of combining the negative ir- prefix and -less suffix in a single term. Although one might reasonably argue that it is no different from words with redundant affixes like debone and unravel, it has been considered a blunder for decades and will probably continue to be so.

-MM

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jiya
no this word is mostly not used in the English language..

because……….

Irregardless is considered nonstandard because of the two negative elements Ir- and -less. It was probably formed on the analogy of such words as irrespective, irrelevant, and irreparable. Those who use it, including on occasion educated speakers, may do so from a desire to add emphasis. Irregardless first appeared in the early 20th century and was perhaps popularized by its use.

I don’t think the use of these word will be preferable or it would make any sense.

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Morgan M
ir·re·gard·less (ĭr’ĭ-gärd’lĭs)

adv. Nonstandard.

Regardless.

[Probably blend of IRRESPECTIVE and REGARDLESS.]

USAGE NOTE Irregardless is a word that many mistakenly believe to be correct usage in formal style, when in fact it is used chiefly in nonstandard speech or casual writing. Coined in the United States in the early 20th century, it has met with a blizzard of condemnation for being an improper yoking of irrespective and regardless and for the logical absurdity of combining the negative ir– prefix and –less suffix in a single term. Although one might reasonably argue that it is no different from words with redundant affixes like debone and unravel, it has been considered a blunder for decades and will probably continue to be so.

Meaning #1: (informal) regardless; a combination of irrespective and regardless sometimes used humorously

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Anonymous
Yes, it is in the Encarta dictionary, but I think it a bad word.
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ansmenam
it is not correct usage in a formal style. in informal writing or speech, it is an adverb that means regardless.
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