“irregardless” vs. “regardless”
Use "regardless," the standard, grammatically correct word; avoid "irregardless" entirely in formal writing, since it's a widely criticized nonstandard double negative, even though it's commonly heard in casual speech.
irregardless
"Irregardless" is a nonstandard word meaning "without regard," widely considered incorrect by traditional grammarians because it combines the negative prefix "ir-" with "regardless," which already contains a negative meaning through the suffix "-less" — creating a double negative that logically should mean "with regard," the opposite of its intended sense. Despite this, "irregardless" has been in informal use for well over a century and appears in some dictionaries as a nonstandard variant, acknowledged as commonly used but not recommended.
regardless
"Regardless" is a standard adverb meaning without being affected by or considering something, used to indicate that something happens or is true no matter what the circumstances ("regardless of the weather, we're going hiking"). It's formed correctly from "regard" plus the suffix "-less," meaning "without regard," and it's the universally accepted, grammatically sound choice in every register of writing, formal or informal.
The real distinction
"Regardless" is the standard, grammatically correct word meaning "without regard" or "no matter what," while "irregardless" is a widely criticized nonstandard variant that adds a redundant negative prefix to a word that's already negative, technically producing a double negative that undermines its own intended meaning. Nearly every style guide, English teacher, and professional editor advises against using "irregardless" in any formal or professional writing, viewing it as a clear marker of a nonstandard or uneducated register, even though the word is widely understood and has a long history of informal use dating back over a century. Some dictionaries do include "irregardless" as an entry, but almost universally with a usage note explicitly labeling it nonstandard and recommending "regardless" instead — inclusion in a dictionary means the word is documented as used, not that it's endorsed as correct for careful writing. For any context where credibility and polish matter — resumes, professional emails, academic papers, formal speeches — "regardless" is the unambiguous, safe, and universally accepted choice, while "irregardless" carries real risk of undermining a writer's credibility with readers who notice the error.
Examples with “irregardless”
- He insisted on finishing the race, irregardless of his injury.
- She said she would attend, irregardless of the weather forecast.
- The critics claimed the film succeeded irregardless of its low budget.
- He kept working, irregardless of the exhaustion he clearly felt.
- They pushed forward with the plan, irregardless of the warnings.
- She spoke her mind, irregardless of what others might think.
- The team celebrated the effort, irregardless of the final score.
- He continued the hobby, irregardless of the criticism from friends.
- The company launched the product, irregardless of market concerns.
- She stood by her decision, irregardless of the backlash online.
- He refused to apologize, irregardless of the obvious mistake.
- He kept training every morning, irregardless of the freezing weather.
Examples with “regardless”
- Regardless of the weather, the event will proceed as planned.
- She decided to attend the meeting, regardless of the short notice.
- The team pressed forward, regardless of the mounting obstacles.
- Regardless of your opinion, the decision has already been made.
- He accepted the challenge, regardless of the risks involved.
- Regardless of cost, the family chose the best available care.
- She finished the marathon, regardless of the painful blisters.
- Regardless of the outcome, they were proud of their effort.
- The company will proceed, regardless of the recent setbacks.
- Regardless of age, everyone is welcome to join the class.
- Regardless of the outcome, she was proud of how hard they worked.
- Regardless of the critics, the album became a commercial success.
Memory trick
Notice that "irregardless" tacks an unnecessary "ir-" onto a word that's already negative — like saying "un-cannot," a double negative that cancels itself out logically. Simply remember that "regardless" already means "without regard" on its own, so no extra negative prefix is ever needed. A final test: if you can remove the "ir-" and the sentence still means exactly the same thing, that's proof the prefix was never needed — always choose "regardless" instead.