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regular

/ˈɹɛɡjəlɚ/
adjectivenoun

REGULAR meaning: following a fixed pattern, or a person who visits often. The seven-letter word scores 8 points in Scrabble.

NWL Collins ENABLE

Adjective 4 meanings

  1. Bound by religious rule; belonging to a monastic or religious order (often as opposed to secular).

    “regular clergy, in distinction from the secular clergy”

  2. Having a constant pattern; showing evenness of form or appearance.

  3. Both equilateral and equiangular; having all sides of the same length, and all (corresponding) angles of the same size

  4. Whose faces are all congruent regular polygons, equally inclined to each other.

Noun 4 meanings

  1. A member of the British Army (as opposed to a member of the Territorial Army or Reserve).

  2. A frequent, routine visitor to an establishment.

    “Bartenders usually know their regulars by name.”

  3. A member of the armed forces or police force.

  4. A frequent customer, client or business partner.

    “This gentleman was one of the architect's regulars.”

Definitions: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA) via Kaikki/Wiktextract

Where it comes from

Etymology

From Middle English reguler, from Anglo-Norman reguler, Middle French reguler, regulier, and their source, Latin rēgulāris (“continuing rules for guidance”), from rēgula (“rule”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- (“move in a straight line”).

Similar and opposite words

Similar
equableuniformunvaryingconsistentequalevenmonotonoussamely
Opposite
chaoticirregularerraticfluidinstablerandom

REGULAR carries several senses: steady and even as an adjective, a frequent customer or a professional soldier as a noun. It ranks 1,166th in English frequency, with a count of 21,961. Seven letters mean a full rack can play it as a bingo.

REGULAR facts to know

  • Seven letters: A, E, G, L, R, R and U.
  • Base score: 8 points, with G the only tile above 1.
  • No anagrams are accepted.
  • Only two neighbours: REGULAE and TEGULAR.
  • Collins, NWL2023 and ENABLE all list it.

Is REGULAR a good bingo word?

It is a solid one. The rack A, E, G, L, R, R, U contains common letters and two Rs, so a rack of these seven is far friendlier than one holding a J or a Z. Playing all seven tiles earns the 50-point bonus on top of the 8.

The weakness is that REGULAR has no anagram, so a blocked lane ends the plan. If an opponent blocks your lane, no second word exists for these tiles. Hold back the E, A, L and R in that case and you keep a balanced leave for next turn.

Which meaning matters in word games?

Game dictionaries care about spelling, not sense, but the senses explain the word's reach. The adjective means orderly or customary. The noun covers a bar's habitual drinker, a member of the standing army, or a policeman on the regular force.

The two neighbours are far less common: TEGULAR relates to tiles, and REGULAE is a plural form. Rhymes such as POPULAR and SIMILAR end in -LAR as well, but they start with different letters, so none of them hooks or extends it.

Placement tip

Tip

Aim the G at a double-letter square: it adds 2 points. Aim an R at nothing special, since each scores 1 and a premium there adds little.

Rhymes with regular

All rhymes

One letter away

Change one letter, keep the rest
  • REGULAE8
  • TEGULAR8

Questions people ask

Is regular a valid Scrabble word?
Yes. REGULAR is accepted in Collins, NWL2023 and ENABLE. It scores 8 points on a plain board. Because it uses seven tiles, playing it straight from your rack also earns the 50-point bingo bonus.
Does regular have any anagrams?
No. REGULAR has no anagrams, so these seven letters make only one playable word. The nearest alternatives are TEGULAR, which changes the first letter, and REGULAE, which changes the last.
How common is the word regular?
REGULAR is a common word, ranked 1,166 in English with a count of 21,961. About 6 percent of seven-letter words start with R, and about 8 percent end with R, so it sits in a busy part of the alphabet.

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