IRREGULARITY

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does irregularity mean? 

• IRREGULARITY (noun)
  The noun IRREGULARITY has 4 senses:

1. behavior that breaches the rule or etiquette or custom or morality

2. not characterized by a fixed principle or rate; at irregular intervals

3. an irregular asymmetry in shape; an irregular spatial pattern

4. irregular and infrequent or difficult evacuation of the bowels; can be a symptom of intestinal obstruction or diverticulitis

  Familiarity information: IRREGULARITY used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• IRREGULARITY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Behavior that breaches the rule or etiquette or custom or morality

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

abnormality; irregularity

Hypernyms ("irregularity" is a kind of...):

misbehavior; misbehaviour; misdeed (improper or wicked or immoral behavior)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "irregularity"):

deviance; deviation (deviate behavior)

Derivation:

irregular (deviating from normal expectations; somewhat odd, strange, or abnormal)

irregular (contrary to rule or accepted order or general practice)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Not characterized by a fixed principle or rate; at irregular intervals

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

irregularity; unregularity

Hypernyms ("irregularity" is a kind of...):

quality (an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "irregularity"):

inhomogeneity (the quality of being inhomogeneous)

fitfulness; jerkiness (the quality of being spasmodic and irregular)

intermittence; intermittency (the quality of being intermittent; subject to interruption or periodic stopping)

fluctuation; wavering (the quality of being unsteady and subject to changes)

haphazardness; noise; randomness; stochasticity (the quality of lacking any predictable order or plan)

unevenness; variability (the quality of being uneven and lacking uniformity)

unsteadiness (the quality of being unsteady--varying and unpredictable)

Antonym:

regularity (the quality of being characterized by a fixed principle or rate)

Derivation:

irregular (independent in behavior or thought)

irregular (contrary to rule or accepted order or general practice)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An irregular asymmetry in shape; an irregular spatial pattern

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

geometrical irregularity; irregularity

Hypernyms ("irregularity" is a kind of...):

asymmetry; dissymmetry; imbalance ((mathematics) a lack of symmetry)

Derivation:

irregular ((of a surface or shape); not level or flat or symmetrical)

irregular ((of solids) not having clear dimensions that can be measured; volume must be determined with the principle of liquid displacement)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Irregular and infrequent or difficult evacuation of the bowels; can be a symptom of intestinal obstruction or diverticulitis

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

constipation; irregularity

Hypernyms ("irregularity" is a kind of...):

symptom ((medicine) any sensation or change in bodily function that is experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "irregularity"):

dyschezia (difficulty in defecating (usually as a consequence of long continued voluntary suppression of the urge to defecate))

fecal impaction (accumulation of hardened feces in the rectum or lower colon which the person cannot move)

obstipation (severe constipation resulting from an obstruction in the intestines)

Derivation:

irregular (not occurring at a regular rate or fixed intervals)

 Context examples 

After evaluating and resolving structural irregularities in the initial model, it may be further refined using energy minimization and other procedures.

(Homology Modeling, NCI Thesaurus)

Irregularity or alteration from normal cervical tissue.

(Cervical Atypia, NCI Thesaurus)

A disorder characterized by pathological irregularities in the cardiac conduction system.

(Heart Conduction Disorder, NCI Thesaurus/CTCAE)

An irregularity in the number of chromosomes, usually in the form of a gain of genetic material.

(Chromosomal Duplication, NCI Thesaurus)

There is marked reduction of interglandular stroma with complex irregularity of glands.

(High Grade Flat Tubular Dysplasia of the Mouse Intestinal Tract, NCI Thesaurus/MMHCC)

An irregularity in the number of chromosomes.

(Numerical Chromosomal Abnormality, NCI Thesaurus)

A surgical procedure used to remove bone spurs or irregularities from a joint.

(Cheilectomy, NCI Thesaurus)

During NER in eukaryotes, shape irregularities are detected by protein complexes that slide along the DNA molecule and induce cuts on each side of a lesion several nucleotides away.

(Nucleotide Excision Repair, NCI Thesaurus)

The branch of dentistry dealing with the prevention or correction of irregularities of the teeth.

(Orthodontics, NCI Thesaurus)

During NER in eukaryotes, protein complexes detect DNA shape irregularities, induce cuts on each side of the lesion, remove the damaged fragment, and repair the helix by synthesis and ligation.

(Nucleotide Excision Repair Inhibition, NCI Thesaurus)