regular 1 of 2

adjective

ˈre-gyə-lər How to pronounce regular (audio)
Definition of regularnext
1
as in frequent
appearing or occurring repeatedly from time to time what with one or another of our pets having problems, we've been regular visitors at the animal hospital

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in systematic
following a set method, arrangement, or pattern he's followed a regular schedule for almost 20 years: up by 5, in bed by 10

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in formal
following or agreeing with established form, custom, or rules thought about having a nontraditional wedding but in the end went with a regular ceremony instead

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in simple
having no exceptions or restrictions your room is a regular sty, and you need to clean it before you can go to the movies

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in normal
having or showing the qualities associated with the members of a particular group or kind tantrums aren't his regular behavior was just a regular guy who preferred hanging out with friends

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

regular

2 of 2

noun

1
as in soldier
a person engaged in military service throughout the war, the regulars were supplemented by corps of volunteers and militiamen

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in familiar
someone who regularly spends time in a particular place the coffeehouse regulars were put out by the interlopers occupying their usual table

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective regular differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of regular are natural, normal, and typical. While all these words mean "being of the sort or kind that is expected as usual, ordinary, or average," regular stresses conformity to a rule, standard, or pattern.

the club's regular monthly meeting

In what contexts can natural take the place of regular?

The words natural and regular are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, natural applies to what conforms to a thing's essential nature, function, or mode of being.

the natural love of a mother for her child

When is it sensible to use normal instead of regular?

While in some cases nearly identical to regular, normal implies lack of deviation from what has been discovered or established as the most usual or expected.

normal behavior for a two-year-old

When would typical be a good substitute for regular?

The synonyms typical and regular are sometimes interchangeable, but typical implies showing all important traits of a type, class, or group and may suggest lack of strong individuality.

a typical small town

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of regular
Adjective
From the operator’s perspective, our node looked like any other regular residential endpoint serving customer traffic; from the inside, every attempt aimed to reach an ADB port through our node was captured. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026 In Boise State’s first season in a new conference since joining the NCAA and Big Sky more than half a century ago — 1970 — the Broncos have not won a regular-season title. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 31 Aug. 2026
Noun
Steele perused them on the regular, looking to pad his newsletter. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026 With household budgets tight, dollar store regulars are asking which aisles actually hold the deepest discounts and the best-quality finds. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for regular
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regular
  1. frequent
  2. systematic
  3. formal
  4. simple
  5. normal
  6. soldier
  7. familiar
  8. periodic
Adjective
  • In the movie, a local brothel — the Devil’s Playhouse — becomes the target of a TV preacher, forcing the town’s sheriff, who happens to be a frequent customer, to save it.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Aug. 2026
  • This is becoming more urgent, Azam says, as these disasters become more frequent, but experts lack data to better identify the areas that are most at risk of future disasters like this.
    — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of frequent
Adjective
  • Rates of relapse among nonpregnant patients averaged 72%, according to a systematic review of 13 studies.
    — Amy Yurkanin, ProPublica, 24 Aug. 2026
  • According to Rohrabaugh, the approach could offer a more systematic alternative to traditional trial-and-error methods and could potentially be applied across different classes of materials.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of systematic
Adjective
  • Early acting career Although Turner had no formal training, his raw talent soon caught the eye of several television directors.
    — L. Sue Baugh, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
  • When the Soviet Union collapsed, NATO lost its formal justification.
    — JENNIFER KAVANAGH, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of formal
Adjective
  • Waist circumference is one simple way to estimate visceral fat.
    — Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
  • From a straightforward season-long points race to giving the points leader a cushion on the leaderboard, and now the simple format of awarding the FedEx Cup to the winner of the Tour Championship, the postseason has long needed a boost.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of simple
Adjective
  • Although Edouard is not forecast to become a hurricane, the hurricane center has warned coastal residents to closely monitor the forecast as the storm is in an area of warmer than normal water and low wind shear, which favor strengthening.
    — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • That change was introduced to help give club staff working across transfer departments a more normal working pattern.
    — Leon Imber, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of normal
Noun
  • This is my personal version of those videos of soldiers coming home from war, and the other women react as such.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
  • An older man was carefully helped off one helicopter, while a soldier carried an older woman on his back to a medical tent.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of soldier
Noun
  • Cats make wonderful friends and, for the witchy folks among us, maybe even familiars.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
  • The cast also includes franchise familiars Courteney Cox, Scott Foley, Mason Gooding, and Jasmin Savoy Brown.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Definition of familiar
Adjective
  • But amid a growing water crisis in the West, and periodic droughts in other parts of the country, constant water access is not a given.
    — Simmone Shah, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
  • And periodic ceasefires during the war sent global oil prices lower – only to rise again whenever those agreements have lapsed or run out.
    — Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of periodic

Browse Nearby Words

regs
regular
regularities
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Cite this Entry

“Regular.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regular. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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