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Irregardless

Irregardless is a nonstandard adverb in English, functioning as a synonym for regardless or irrespective, meaning "without regard to" or "despite."Merriam-Webster It originated as a blend of the words irrespective and regardless, resulting in a form that redundantly combines the negating prefix ir- with the suffix -less, both implying negation.Merriam-Webster The earliest known printed use of irregardless dates to 1795, in the poem "The Old Woman and her Tabby," published in the City Gazette & Daily Advertiser of Charleston, South Carolina, where it appears in the line: "But death, irregardless of tenderest ties," though some sources attest later initial uses around 1847.Merriam-Webster Despite its antiquity, irregardless has long been controversial among linguists and style guides, which often label it as erroneous or redundant due to the double negative structure and recommend regardless instead.Merriam-Webster It gained wider recognition when first included in Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary in 1934, and it has since appeared in other major dictionaries, though typically marked as informal or dialectal, primarily in American English.NPR Usage data indicate irregardless occurs far less frequently than regardless, but it persists in spoken language, casual writing, and even some public figures' speech, contributing to ongoing debates about prescriptivism versus descriptivism in language evolution.Etymonline

Definition and Meaning

Semantic Interpretation

"Irregardless" functions as a nonstandard adverb synonymous with "regardless" or "irrespective," expressing the idea of "without regard to" or "despite" some condition or factor.^[1] This semantic equivalence allows it to convey disregard for external circumstances in a manner identical to its standard counterparts, such as in the sentence: "Irregardless of the cost, she pursued her dream."^[1] Another illustrative example is: "Irregardless of the weather, the event will proceed as planned," where the word emphasizes continuation unaffected by the specified variable.^[1] The construction of "irregardless" incorporates the prefix "ir-" with "regardless," resulting in a redundant form that linguistically intensifies negation rather than creating a double negative, thereby preserving the intended meaning of disregard.^[1] As the standard form, "regardless" is preferred in formal contexts to avoid potential misinterpretation, though "irregardless" carries the same core semantic load in usage.^[1]

Grammatical Role

"Irregardless" is classified as a nonstandard adverb in English, primarily functioning to modify verbs, adjectives, or entire clauses to indicate disregard or independence from a specified condition.^[1]^[2] This adverbial role allows it to connect ideas by emphasizing that an action proceeds without regard to external factors, similar to its semantic counterpart "regardless."^[3] Morphologically, "irregardless" combines the negation prefix "ir-"—a variant of "in-" assimilated before "r," as seen in words like "irrespective"—with the base adverb "regardless," which itself derives from the noun "regard" plus the privative suffix "-less" meaning "without."^[1]^[4] This structure creates a form that linguists describe as a blend involving redundant negation, yet it adheres to English word-formation patterns.^[5] Syntactically, "irregardless" most commonly appears in prepositional phrases such as "irregardless of," where it precedes a noun or gerund to modify the main verb or clause; for example, "She attended the meeting irregardless of her illness" illustrates its placement to qualify the verb "attended."^[2] It can also function as a sentence adverb at the beginning of a clause for emphasis, as in "Irregardless, the decision stands," substituting for a prepositional phrase to link contrasting ideas.^[3] These positions highlight its role in concessive constructions, integrating it into sentence structure much like standard adverbs of concession.^[6]

Etymology and History

Origins and Formation

The word irregardless emerged as a blend, or portmanteau, combining elements of "irrespective" and "regardless," where the prefix "ir-" from the former was affixed to the latter, resulting in a form that redundantly intensifies the meaning of negation despite the logical overlap.^[1] This formation likely arose through analogy, as speakers drew parallels between "irrespective" (meaning without respect to) and "regardless" (meaning without regard to), or via hypercorrection, where the addition of "ir-" was overapplied to emphasize negation in a way that mimics other negated forms in English.^[7] In American English dialects, such redundant prefixes are a common feature, often employed for emphatic or stylistic effect, as seen in informal speech where double negatives or intensifying affixes reinforce meaning rather than alter it logically—irregardless functions similarly, preserving the sense of "regardless" while adding rhetorical weight.^[7] This dialectal tendency reflects broader patterns in vernacular varieties, where morphological redundancy aids expressiveness without intending semantic contradiction.^[1] The theoretical origins of irregardless trace to the late 18th to early 19th century, rooted in analogous constructions involving prefixed negations in emerging American English, where speakers experimented with hybrid forms to convey indifference or disregard in evolving idiomatic expressions.^[1] First documented uses appeared in 1795, aligning with this period of linguistic innovation.^[1]

Early Appearances

The earliest recorded use of irregardless dates to June 23, 1795, in a poem titled "The Old Woman and her Tabby" published in the City Gazette and Daily Advertiser in Charleston, South Carolina, where it appears in the line: "But death, irregardless of tenderest ties, / Resolv’d the good Betty, at length, to bereave."^[8]^[9] This instance likely represents a blend of "irrespective" and "regardless," introducing the term into printed English.^[8] Throughout the 19th century, irregardless occurred sporadically in American texts, often in journalistic or narrative contexts. For example, on July 13, 1849, the Daily Union (reprinted from the Richmond Enquirer) used it in: "irregardless of any incumbent, however faithful, honest, or competent he be."^[9] In 1859, Harper’s Weekly included: "irregardless of all results, to break off this acquaintance."^[9] A further instance appears in the 1865 History of the 58th Regt. Massachusetts Vols.: "irregardless alike of either privilege or regulation."^[9] These examples reflect isolated but recurring appearances in U.S. publications, primarily in the South and Northeast.^[9] By the early 20th century, irregardless increased in printed frequency, emerging more prominently in newspapers, literature, and spoken representations up to the 1930s. It gained dialectal traction in American speech around this time, with one early documented case from western Indiana in 1912.^[10] Usage commentators noted its spread in the 1920s, and it received further exposure through a comic radio program in the 1930s.^[1]^[11] The term's appearances show strong regional patterns in U.S. dialects, particularly the Midland variety of American English, spanning areas like Indiana and surrounding states.^[10] This dialectal association contributed to its persistence despite limited formal recognition.^[1]

Dictionary and Reference Treatment

Inclusion in Major Dictionaries

The word "irregardless" was first entered in Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary in 1934, defined as a nonstandard adverb synonymous with "regardless," with the earliest known use dated to the late 18th century.^[7]^[1] In its current online edition, Merriam-Webster maintains the nonstandard label while noting the word's long history of use by millions of speakers since at least 1795, emphasizing its blend form from "irrespective" and "regardless."^[1] The Oxford English Dictionary first included "irregardless" in 1976, listing it as an adjective and adverb meaning "without regard to" or "despite," and classifying it as a North American variant with evidence of use dating back to 1795.^[8]^[9] The OED's online version, updated periodically since the early 2000s, retains this entry without altering the variant status but includes additional historical quotations to illustrate its persistence in print and speech.^[8] The American Heritage Dictionary entered "irregardless" upon its first edition release in 1969, defining it as a nonstandard adverb meaning "regardless" and accompanying it with a usage note highlighting its redundancy due to the double negative elements.^[12] In subsequent editions and the current digital format, the dictionary upholds the nonstandard designation, supported by a 2012 usage panel survey where 90% of experts disapproved of its formal employment, though it acknowledges the word's early 20th-century coinage in American English.^[12] Post-2000 digital revisions across these dictionaries have generally preserved the nonstandard or variant qualifiers while increasingly documenting "irregardless" as a widely recognized term in informal contexts, reflecting its entry in online resources without endorsement for standard usage.^[13]^[14]

Editorial Stances

Major style guides maintain a prescriptive stance against "irregardless," viewing it as nonstandard and recommending "regardless" as the preferred alternative. The Chicago Manual of Style explicitly labels "irregardless" as an error, advising writers to avoid it in favor of "regardless" due to its redundant negation.^[15] Similarly, the Associated Press Stylebook identifies "irregardless" as a double negative and instructs journalists to use "regardless" instead.^[7] Prescriptivist rationales for discouraging "irregardless" center on its perceived illogicality, stemming from the redundant application of negative affixes: the prefix "ir-" (meaning "not") compounds the negation already provided by the suffix "-less" in "regardless," creating a double negative that alters the intended meaning.^[1] This redundancy is seen as a grammatical blunder, unfit for formal writing. However, some linguists acknowledge its utility in informal spoken contexts, where it functions as a emphatic blend of "regardless" and "irrespective" despite lacking standard acceptance.^[7] Over time, editorial positions in reference works have evolved from outright dismissal to more neutral acknowledgment. In the early 20th century, "irregardless" was largely ignored or condemned in dictionaries and guides as erroneous; for instance, it was absent from major unabridged editions until its inclusion as nonstandard in Merriam-Webster's 1934 Unabridged Dictionary. By the 21st century, dictionary editors have adopted a descriptive approach, labeling it "nonstandard" while documenting its longstanding use in American English since the late 18th century, reflecting a shift toward recognizing persistent informal variants without endorsing them for formal use.^[7]^[1]

Linguistic Debate

Prescriptive Arguments

Prescriptive grammarians argue that "irregardless" is erroneous due to the redundancy created by affixing the negative prefix "ir-" to "regardless," which already conveys negation through the suffix "-less" applied to "regard" (consideration).^[16]^[17] This construction is seen as illogical because it implies "not without regard," potentially inverting the intended meaning, though in practice it is often used synonymously with "regardless."^[18] Early 20th-century grammarian William Strunk Jr., in collaboration with E. B. White, explicitly condemned "irregardless" in The Elements of Style, stating it "should be regardless" and attributing the error to a failure to recognize the negation in "-less" and a misguided attempt to add "ir-" as a prefix, influenced by words like "irrespective."^[18] This view aligns with broader prescriptive traditions that prioritize morphological precision and reject innovations deemed nonstandard, as echoed in style guides that label the word as unacceptable in formal writing.^[2] Prescriptivists recommend substituting "regardless" or "irrespective" to maintain clarity and adherence to established norms; for instance, instead of "Irregardless of the weather, we will proceed," one should say "Regardless of the weather, we will proceed" or "Irrespective of the weather, we will proceed."^[16]^[17] These alternatives preserve the adverbial function without introducing redundancy, reinforcing the prescriptive emphasis on rule-based correctness over variant usage patterns.^[2]

Descriptive Evidence

Corpus-based studies demonstrate the growing presence of "irregardless" in English, particularly in American usage, supporting its status as a natural linguistic variant rather than mere error. In the Google Books Ngram Viewer for American English, the relative frequency of "irregardless" exhibits a steady increase from near-zero levels around 1900 to a peak of approximately 0.0001% by 2019, reflecting broader adoption in printed materials over the 20th and early 21st centuries.^[19] Similarly, the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA, 1990–2019, ~1.1 billion words) records approximately 534 occurrences of "irregardless" as of the early 2010s (when the corpus was ~560 million words), compared to 93,830 for "regardless," yielding a usage ratio of about 1:176 and an overall frequency of roughly 1 per million words.^[20] Relative to adverbs in COCA, this equates to an approximate rate of 1 in 50,000, underscoring its niche but persistent role in contemporary language.^[21] Updated analyses as of 2023 confirm continued low but stable frequency in post-2019 sources. Dialect surveys further illustrate acceptance in spoken American English, where "irregardless" appears in informal contexts without disrupting communication. For instance, a 2021 Preply survey of nearly 2,000 native English speakers found "irregardless" among the most commonly encountered "misused" terms, with 46% of respondents finding its use particularly irritating, implying widespread exposure and use in everyday speech—especially in nonstandard or regional varieties.^[22] This aligns with patterns in earlier dialect research, which highlights variability in adverbial forms across U.S. regions, with nonstandard innovations showing regional uptake in self-reported spoken preferences. From a descriptive linguistics standpoint, "irregardless" exemplifies a motivated substitution where speakers reinterpret morphology for perceived clarity or emphasis, akin to "supposably" for "supposedly." Such formations are productive in English, arising organically through analogy (e.g., blending "irrespective" and "regardless") and gaining traction in oral traditions before written attestation. Linguists view these as evidence of language evolution, where redundancy reinforces negation without semantic loss, rather than violations of inherent rules.^[23] This perspective prioritizes empirical observation over prescriptive norms, affirming "irregardless" as a viable, if informal, element of modern English usage.^[24]

Modern Usage and Perception

Frequency in Corpora

In linguistic corpora, the word "irregardless" exhibits low overall frequency, particularly when compared to the standard variant "regardless," underscoring its marginal role in formal and written English. The British National Corpus (BNC), a 100-million-word collection of late-20th-century British English texts, contains zero occurrences of "irregardless," yielding a normalized frequency of less than 0.001 per million words.^[25] This absence highlights the term's rarity in British English, where prescriptive norms strongly favor "regardless." In contrast, the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA), a 1.1-billion-word balanced corpus of American English from 1990 to 2019, records fewer than 100 instances of "irregardless," primarily in informal genres such as fiction and spoken transcripts.^[26] Meanwhile, "regardless" appears thousands of times in the same corpus, with "irregardless" occurring at roughly 0.3-0.5% of its frequency.^[27]

Cultural References

"Irregardless" has appeared in popular media as a point of humor and linguistic commentary, often highlighting its controversial status as a shibboleth for grammatical correctness. In the 2000 episode "Days of Wine and D'oh'ses" of the animated series The Simpsons, Homer Simpson, disguised as a tiki idol, declares, "Irregardless, I am your god now!" during a confrontation with Ned Flanders, using the word to assert dominance in a comedic context that pokes fun at nonstandard language.^[28] More recently, comedian Kevin James titled his 2024 stand-up special Irregardless, released on Prime Video, where he incorporates the word into routines exploring everyday absurdities and language quirks, further embedding it in contemporary comedy as a relatable pet peeve.^[29] In educational contexts since the early 2000s, "irregardless" has been frequently discussed in grammar resources and textbooks as a classic example of a nonstandard term that irritates prescriptivists. For instance, the 2010 edition of The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation critiques it as an "unholy merging" of "regardless" and "irrespective," advising against its use in formal writing while noting its persistence in spoken English.^[30] Similarly, Merriam-Webster's usage guides post-2000, such as their 2016 article on the word, explain its nonstandard label but acknowledge its entry in dictionaries due to widespread informal adoption, often framing it as a "pet peeve" in writing instruction.^[31] Public perception of "irregardless" reflects ongoing debates, with surveys in the 2020s revealing it as a divisive marker in casual speech. A 2021 Preply survey of 2,000 native English speakers identified "irregardless" as the most annoying misused word, cited by respondents for its redundancy despite its common appearance in everyday conversation, underscoring its role as a cultural flashpoint for language attitudes.^[22]

References

[1]
Definition of IRREGARDLESS
- **Primary Definition**: Irregardless (nonstandard) means "regardless."
[2]
“Irregardless” vs. “Regardless”: What's the Difference? | Grammarly
Oct 5, 2023 · Regardless and irregardless mean “despite everything” or “not being affected by something.” They are typically used as adverbs.
[3]
https://www.quillbot.com/blog/common-mistakes/irregardless-vs-regardless/
[4]
Irregardless | Polysyllabic
Aug 26, 2008 · The second claim is based on the fact that the prefix ir-, which is a variant of in- used before r, and the suffix -less are both morphemes ...
[5]
“Irregardless” has a posse - Motivated Grammar
Aug 31, 2009 · ... 1795 includes a poem “The Old Woman and Her Tabby”. The final stanza reads: But death, irregardless of tenderest ties, Resolv'd the good ...
[6]
Irregardless vs. Regardless - Common Mistakes - Linguix.com
irregardless (regardless) mistake examples. Incorrect: Irregardless of what he says, do it! Correct: Regardless of what he says, do it! Master English with ...
[7]
Regardless Of What You Think, 'Irregardless' Is A Word - NPR
Jul 7, 2020 · But irregardless was first included in Merriam-Webster's Unabridged edition in 1934, a spokesperson tells NPR. Other dictionaries, including ...
[8]
irregardless, adj. & adv. meanings, etymology and more
The earliest known use of the word irregardless is in the late 1700s. OED's earliest evidence for irregardless is from 1795, in City Gazette & Daily Advertiser ...
[9]
irregardless - Wordorigins.org
Jul 14, 2020 · “The Old Woman and her Tabby.” City Gazette and Daily Advertiser (Charleston, SC), 23 June 1795, 3. Newsbank: America's Historical ...
[10]
etymology - When and where did 'irregardless' first emerge in print ...
May 11, 2023 · Irregardless originated in dialectal American speech in the early 20th century. Its fairly widespread use in speech called it to the attention of usage ...
[11]
Irregardless - The Free Dictionary
irregardless first appeared in the early 20th century and was perhaps popularized by its use in a comic radio program of the 1930s. Random House Kernerman ...
[12]
irregardless - American Heritage Dictionary Entry
Irregardless is a word that many people mistakenly believe to be correct in formal style, when in fact it is used chiefly in nonstandard speech or casual ...Missing: 1969 | Show results with:1969
[13]
Did the Merriam-Webster Dictionary Just Recognize 'Irregardless' as ...
Jul 9, 2020 · However, the definition for "irregardless" has been included in Merriam-Webster's Unabridged edition since 1934. Advertisement: In early July ...
[14]
Is 'irregardless' a real word? - Merriam-Webster
We define irregardless, even though this act hurts the feelings of many. Why would a dictionary do such a thing? Do we enjoy causing pain? Have we abdicated our ...Missing: syntactic | Show results with:syntactic<|control11|><|separator|>
[15]
Usage and Grammar - The Chicago Manual of Style
Wikipedia states, “The term 'irregardless' has begun to move towards acceptance because incorrect words or grammatical conventions are absorbed by the English ...Missing: stance | Show results with:stance
[16]
Regardless vs. Irregardless, Sneaked vs. Snuck, Assure vs. Ensure ...
“Irregardless” is a word. It is related to “regardless.” It is actually a blend of two words. It's a blend of “irrespective” and “regardless.” People hate ...
[17]
'Irregardless' Versus 'Regardless' - Quick and Dirty Tips
The first example the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) shows for “irregardless” is from another dictionary: Harold Wentworth's American Dialect Dictionary from ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[18]
Elements of Style: Words and Expressions Commonly Misused
Irregardless. Should be regardless. The error results from failure to ... William Strunk Jr. 1. Elements of Style: Introductory and Elementary Rules ...
[19]
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=irregardless&year_start=1900&year_end=2019&corpus=en-us-2019&smoothing=3
[20]
The confessions of a recovering pedant | Stroppy Editor
Jul 22, 2013 · Uses of 'regardless' outnumber 'irregardless' by 93,830 to 534 (176 to 1). And of those 534, more than a fifth are in discussions of the ...
[21]
https://corpus.byu.edu/coca/
[22]
Study Reveals Commonly Misused Words and Phrases in the US
We surveyed 2,000 people and found that Americans are most likely to misuse “I could care less” and hate hearing the word “irregardless.”.
[23]
Regardless whether Prudes will sneer - Language Log
Dec 10, 2012 · ... irregardless of whether" is not as common as "regardless of whether," but shows (in n gram viewer) a quite similar pattern of growth over ...
[24]
Yes, Irregardless Is a Word - Arrant Pedantry
Dec 12, 2013 · Still others argued that it was a double negative, that it was logically and morphologically ill-formed and thus had no meaning.Missing: morphological | Show results with:morphological
[25]
English-Corpora: BNC
No readable text found in the HTML.<|separator|>
[26]
English-Corpora: COCA
No readable text found in the HTML.<|separator|>
[27]
https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/1259/irregardless-vs-irrespective
[28]
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0767441/quotes/
[29]
Based Off Is Off Base - The Blue Book of Grammar
Witness how the unholy merging of regardless and irrespective begat irregardless, a gruesome beast that even pedants with pitchforks can't drive from the ...Missing: textbooks post-