regular

comparative more regular · superlative most regular · alternative reg'lar · alternative reg · alternative reg.

1. ChristianityBound by religious rule; belonging to a monastic or religious order (often as opposed to secular).First known use 14th c.

   regular clergy, in distinction from the secular clergy

   1 more example

   A quarter of a million strong in 1680, the clergy was only half as large in 1789. The unpopular regular clergy were the worst affected.

   2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 201

2. Having a constant pattern; showing evenness of form or appearance.First known use 15th c.

   Synonyms: equable, uniform, unvarying, consistent, equable, equal, even, even-keeled · Antonyms: chaotic, irregular, erratic, fluid, chaotic, instable, irregular, random

3. geometryBoth equilateral and equiangular; having all sides of the same length, and all (corresponding) angles of the same sizeFirst known use 16th c.
4. geometryWhose 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.First known use 16th c.

   April may be the cruellest month, but I am planning to render it civilised and to take my antibiotics in a regular manner.

   2011 April 12, A[lison] L[ouise] Kennedy, The Guardian

   Synonyms: in order, ruly, tidy, all Sir Garnet, Bristol fashion and shipshape, in order, neat, neat and tidy · Antonyms: chaotic, tumultuous, chaotic, cluttered, disorderly, messy, ree-raw, riotous

6. astronomyOf a moon or other satellite: following a relatively close and prograde orbit with little inclination or eccentricity.
7. archaicWell-behaved, orderly; restrained (of a lifestyle etc.).First known use 16th c.

   Synonyms: decent, seemly, well-mannered · Antonyms: degenerate, irregular

8. Happening at constant (especially short) intervals.First known use 17th c.

   He made regular visits to go see his mother.

   Synonyms: cyclical, frequent, cyclic, cyclical, periodic, periodical · Antonyms: irregular, noncyclic

9. grammarOf a verb, plural, etc., following a set or common pattern; according to the general rules of a given language.First known use 17th c.

   "Walked" is the past tense of the regular verb "to walk".

   Synonyms: weak · Antonyms: irregular, strong

10. USHaving the expected characteristics or appearances; normal, ordinary, standard.First known use 17th c.

    “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.

    1868-69, Louisa May Alcott, chapter 21, in Little Women, part 1

    Synonyms: basic, common, unremarkable, average, medial, basic, bog-standard, common · Antonyms: irregular, outlandish, weird, aberrant, abnormal, alien, anomalous, as queer as Dick's hatband

11. governmentPermanently organised; being part of a set professional body of troops.First known use 17th c.

    Antonyms: irregular

12. gastroenterologyHaving normal bowel movements or menstrual periods at constant intervals.First known use 18th c.

    Maintaining a high-fibre diet keeps one regular.

    1 more example

    Gulls cawed and wheeled overhead, dropping splatty white cluster bombs on rooftops and pavements. Goodness knows what those gulls eat, but it certainly keeps them regular.

    2015, Bill Bryson, The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes from a Small Island, page 206

    Antonyms: irregular

13. colloquialExemplary; excellent example of; utter, downright.First known use 18th c.

    a regular genius; a regular John Bull

    1 more example

    Don't worry, boy. We're gonna set you straight. By tomorrow morning, you'll be a regular Burt Reynolds.

    1997 February 16, Ron Hauge, Homer's Phobia (The Simpsons), season 8, episode 15, spoken by Homer Simpson (Dan Castellaneta)

    Synonyms: absolute, thorough, unalloyed, abject, frightful, absolute, prize, clean

14. biologyHaving all the parts of the same kind alike in size and shape.

    a regular flower; a regular sea urchin

15. chemistryIsometric.
16. hobbiesRiding with the left foot forward.

    Antonyms: goofy

17. not comparablemathematical analysisSuch that every set in its domain is both outer regular and inner regular.
18. not comparablecommutative algebraNoetherian and such that the minimal number of generators of the maximal ideal is equal to the Krull dimension of the ring.
19. not comparablealgebraic geometrySuch that the local ring at every point is regular.
20. not comparableobsoleteA von Neumann regular: such that every left module (over the given ring) is flat.

    Synonyms: absolutely flat

alternative reg'lar · alternative reg · alternative reg.

1. archaicdialectalnonstandardnot comparableRegularly, on a regular basis.

   "All we've got to do is stick 'em in the bedroom and feed 'em regular."

   1988, Mary Steele, Mallyroot's Pub at Misery Ponds, Ringwood: Puffin Books, page 37

   3 more examples

   Though no minister would visit the Skerburnfoot, or, if he went, departed quicker than he came, the girl Ailie attended regular at the catechising at the mains of Sker.

   1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide

   "There's only twenty men staying in the house regular," said Ahearne, showing him around[.]

   1946, William Hatfield, Buffalo Jim, Oxford: Geoffrey Cumberlege, page 47

   "Drain her every thousand, regular. Don't do it myself, o' course; just drop her in at the lubritorium."

   1961, Colin Thiele, The Sun on the Stubble, Melbourne: Rigby Limited, page 113

plural regulars · alternative reg'lar · alternative reg · alternative reg.

1. A member of the British Army (as opposed to a member of the Territorial Army or Reserve).
2. A frequent, routine visitor to an establishment.

   Bartenders usually know their regulars by name.

   Synonyms: frequenter, habitué, patron, usual suspects

3. A member of the armed forces or police force.
   1. SingaporeSynonym of regular serviceman; a member of the Singapore Armed Forces, Police Force or Civil Defence Force who has signed on, i.e., chosen to work full-time beyond their required length of national service.

      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.

      2004, Ong Lay Jinn, 00:24:49 from the start, in Perth: The Geylang Massacre

      Synonyms: regular serviceman

4. A frequent customer, client or business partner.

   This gentleman was one of the architect's regulars.

5. broadcastingA 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.

   2013, Ray Morton, A Quick Guide to Television Writing, Bloomsbury, →ISBN

6. CanadaA coffee with one cream and one sugar.
7. 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.

   2011, Jamie MacLennan, ZhaoHui Tang, Bogdan Crivat, Data Mining with Microsoft SQL Server 2008

8. A member of a religious order who has taken the three ordinary vows.
9. 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.
10. 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.