irregularidad

/i.re.ɣu.la.ɾiˈðað/
irregularity

La irregularidad en los pagos generó problemas con el banco.

The irregularity in the payments caused problems with the bank.


formal

The state or quality of being irregular; lack of regularity or uniformity.

La irregularidad en la distribución de los recursos preocupa a los expertos.

The irregularity in the distribution of resources concerns the experts.

Se detectó una irregularidad en los datos climáticos del último año.

An irregularity was detected in the climate data from last year.

Common in academic, technical, and formal contexts. Often used in legal, financial, or scientific reports.

Medicine
technical

A deviation from a standard or norm; an anomaly.

El médico encontró una irregularidad en el ritmo cardíaco del paciente.

The doctor found an irregularity in the patient's heart rhythm.

In medicine, often refers to abnormal findings in diagnostic tests.

Pro Tip

Avoid confusion with 'irregular'

Remember that 'irregularidad' is a noun, while 'irregular' (adjective) means 'not regular' (e.g., 'un ritmo cardíaco irregular'). The noun form is 'irregularidad'.

Gold Rule

Use in formal contexts

This word is typically used in formal writing (e.g., academic papers, legal documents, financial reports) rather than casual conversation.

Word Origin

From Latin *irregularitas*, from *irregularis* ('irregular'), composed of *in-* ('not') + *regularis* ('regular').

Usage Notes

Used in both abstract and concrete contexts. In formal writing, it often implies a negative connotation (e.g., irregularities in financial reports suggest fraud or error).

Word Breakdown

ir-
prefix meaning 'not'
prefix
+
-regular-
root meaning 'regular'
root
+
-idad
suffix forming abstract nouns (similar to '-ity' in English)
suffix
Diccionario Español-Inglés