You’ve probably seen the internet meltdowns. Someone uses "irregardless" in a comment section, and within seconds, a self-appointed grammar cop swoops in with a smug "Actually, that's not a word." It's the ultimate linguistic "gotcha." People love to hate it. It’s the Nickelback of English—something we’ve all agreed to despise because it feels sophisticated to do so. But if you’re looking for a straight answer to is irregardless a word, the truth is a bit more complicated than your high school English teacher let on.
Yes. It is.
It’s in the dictionary. It’s been used for over a century. It has a specific meaning. If people use it and other people understand it, it’s a word. That’s how language works. English isn’t a museum where the exhibits are frozen in time; it’s a living, breathing, messy pile of sounds we use to get ideas out of our heads. Does it make sense logically? Not really. Is it "proper" in a formal essay? Probably not. But saying it isn't a word is like saying a platypus isn't an animal because it looks like a glitch in the Matrix.
The Dictionary Has Entered the Chat
The big turning point for the "irregardless" haters happened in 2020. Merriam-Webster, the absolute authority for most American speakers, posted a video and a blog post confirming that "irregardless" is, in fact, a word. The internet collectively lost its mind. People acted like the dictionary had just legalized arson.
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But Merriam-Webster wasn't making a new rule. They were just reporting the news. Dictionaries are descriptive, not prescriptive. They don't tell us how we should speak; they record how we actually speak. Since "irregardless" has been in consistent use since at least 1795, it would be weird for a dictionary to ignore it. It’s also in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), Cambridge, and American Heritage.
If you look it up, you’ll see it’s usually labeled as "nonstandard." That’s lexicographer-speak for "people say this, but you might look like an idiot if you use it in a job interview." It’s a warning label, not a ban.
Why Do We Use It Anyway?
Basically, "irregardless" is a linguistic mashup. It’s what happens when the brain tries to do two things at once. You want to say "regardless," but you also have the word "irrespective" floating around in your head. Your brain hits the blender button, and out pops "irregardless."
Linguists call this a blend or a portmanteau. It’s a double negative, technically. The prefix "ir-" means "not," and the suffix "-less" also means "without" or "not." So, logically, "irregardless" should mean "not without regard," which would be the opposite of what people mean when they say it. This is the main reason people get so annoyed. It’s redundant. It’s "ATM Machine" or "PIN Number" on steroids.
There’s also the "emphasis" theory. Honestly, sometimes "regardless" just doesn’t feel punchy enough. Adding that extra syllable makes the word feel heavier, more final. It’s a way of saying "I don't care what you say" with a bit more structural bulk. Humans love adding extra bits to words for flavor. Think about how we use "supposably" or "orientated." They feel more "word-like" to some ears because they’re longer.
A History of Hating a Word
The crusade against this word isn't new. It’s been a badge of "intelligence" for decades. In the early 20th century, usage guides started calling it out as a sign of being uneducated. This created a weird social hierarchy. If you knew "irregardless" was "wrong," you were part of the In-Crowd. You were literate. You were refined.
This is what linguists call prestige dialects. We use certain grammar rules as a secret handshake to show we belong to a certain class. But here’s the kicker: many words we use today were once "errors." The word "apron" used to be "a napron." People kept mishearing "a napron" as "an apron," and eventually, the error became the language. "Nickname" came from "an eke name." If we can accept those, why are we so hung up on this one?
Real-World Usage and the "Double Negative" Myth
A lot of people argue that "irregardless" is "illogical." They say you can’t have two negatives. Well, tell that to Mick Jagger. "I can’t get no satisfaction" is a double negative, and we all know exactly what he means. In many languages, like Spanish or French, double negatives are actually required for emphasis. English used to be the same way. Middle English was full of double and triple negatives. It was only during the Enlightenment that some guys decided English should follow the rules of Latin and math.
But language isn't math.
If you're at a BBQ and someone says, "Irregardless of the rain, we're flipping burgers," do you stand there confused? Do you think they mean they will stop because of the rain? No. You go get a plate. The communication was successful.
When Should You Actually Use It?
Context is everything. You’ve got to read the room. Just because something is a word doesn't mean it’s the right word for every situation.
- In a text to your friends? Go for it. Who cares?
- In a heated argument where you want to sound dominant? Maybe avoid it, or your opponent will stop arguing about the topic and start arguing about your vocabulary.
- On a resume or a legal brief? Absolutely not. Unless you want the hiring manager to toss your application in the trash while muttering about the downfall of civilization.
- In a novel? If your character is the type of person who would say it, then it’s actually better writing to include it.
Language is a tool. You wouldn't use a sledgehammer to hang a picture frame, and you wouldn't use "irregardless" in a PhD thesis. But for everyday life? It’s fine. Kinda.
The Experts Weigh In
Bryan Garner, the author of Garner's Modern English Usage, is one of the most respected voices in the "please don't say that" camp. He classifies "irregardless" as "Language-Change Index Stage 1." That basically means it’s widely used but universally condemned by educated speakers. He notes that it "has caused more blood to be spilled than almost any other word in the history of the English language."
On the flip side, Kory Stamper, a former editor at Merriam-Webster and author of Word by Word, argues that the hatred is mostly about elitism. She points out that we use plenty of other redundant words without blinking. We say "unravel" and "ravel" to mean the same thing. We say "flammable" and "inflammable" and nobody loses their mind. Why is "irregardless" the hill everyone wants to die on?
It’s because it’s an easy target. It’s a "shibboleth"—a word or custom that determines whether you belong to a particular group. When you correct someone's use of "irregardless," you aren't helping them communicate better; you’re asserting dominance. You’re saying, "I know a rule you don't."
Facts About the Word "Irregardless"
To keep things grounded, here are some cold, hard facts about the word's status in 2026:
- Date of first known use: Roughly 1795, appearing in a petition in Charleston, South Carolina.
- Dictionary status: Included in Merriam-Webster, Oxford, American Heritage, and Collins.
- Word type: Adverb.
- Definition: "Regardless." (Yes, the definition is literally its own synonym).
- The "Double Negative" issue: It uses the "ir-" prefix and "-less" suffix, which is redundant but not "illegal" in linguistics.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that a word only "exists" if it’s "correct." That’s like saying a weed isn't a plant because you didn't mean to grow it. "Irregardless" is a weed in the garden of English. It’s hearty, it spreads, and no matter how much you spray it with "actually," it keeps coming back.
Another myth is that it’s a "new" thing or "slang." It’s older than the lightbulb. It’s older than the bicycle. It’s been around for over 200 years. If it were a temporary fad, it would have died out in the 1800s. The fact that it’s still here, despite centuries of people yelling at it, proves that it has some kind of utility in the human brain.
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How to Handle the Irregardless Drama
If you’re worried about your own reputation, the safest bet is to just use "regardless." It’s shorter. It’s cleaner. It doesn’t trigger people's "grammar-correcting" reflexes. You’ll never get in trouble for using "regardless."
But if you hear someone else use it? Maybe just let it slide. Honestly, life is too short to get worked up over a redundant prefix. If you understood what they meant, then the language did its job. We’ve got bigger problems to worry about than a stray "ir-."
Actionable Takeaways for Word Geeks
Stop treating the dictionary like a rulebook. It’s a map. It shows where people have walked, not where you're "allowed" to walk. If a path is well-worn, the dictionary puts it on the map.
If you’re a writer, use "irregardless" intentionally to signal something about a character’s background or personality. It’s a powerful tool for voice.
When someone corrects you, you now have the ammo to say, "Actually, it’s been in the dictionary since the early 20th century and has been used for over 200 years. It’s classified as nonstandard, but it is a word." Watch their head spin.
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Basically, the "is irregardless a word" debate is a mirror. It doesn't tell us much about the word itself, but it tells us a lot about how we use language to judge each other. So, regardless—or irregardless—of how you feel about it, the word is here to stay.
Next Steps for Your Vocabulary:
- Audit your formal writing: Search your documents for "irregardless" and swap it for "regardless" or "irrespective" to avoid bias from readers.
- Explore other "nonstandard" words: Look up "conversate" or "orientated" in the dictionary to see how they are categorized.
- Practice linguistic empathy: The next time someone uses a "wrong" word, focus on the meaning of their message rather than the mechanics of their delivery.