Nonregularity

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality or state of not being regular or consistent in pattern or occurrence
2. A condition characterized by irregular or uneven features without a fixed arrangement
3. The presence of deviations from a normal, predictable, or uniform standard

Etymology: "Nonregularity" is a straightforward formation: the prefix "non-" attached to "regularity," meaning the quality of being regular. The prefix comes from Latin "non," meaning "not," and it has been used freely in English to create negated nouns from almost any base word, so the word needs no special history to explain it. "Regularity" itself comes through Late Latin "regularis," meaning "according to a rule," which derives from Latin "regula," a rule or straight stick used for measuring. The idea of a measuring rod gives the root its sense of conforming to a standard pattern. Adding "non-" simply reverses that: a nonregular thing departs from the expected rule, whether in a sequence, a verb's conjugation, or any recurring event.

Synonyms: irregularity, anomaly, deviation, abnormality, exception

Antonyms: regularity, normality, uniformity, consistency, conformity