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Cover Art

Irregardless Lyrics by Merriam-Webster

Merriam-Webster Ask the Editor

2012

Welcome to Ask the Editor. I'm Kory Stamper, an Associate Editor at Merriam-Webster.
We are often asked—by people who clearly don't recognize that we are merely lexicographers—to blot out all evidence of a particular word from the language. Not surprisingly, one target of lexical contempt is the word "irregardless." Yep, I said: the word "irregardless." Despite the conviction among many that "irregardless" is not a real word, it is. It's so real in fact that it's entered into our dictionaries.
Now, before you stalk off in disgust to write us an angry letter—you can address those directly to me, by the way—hear us out. "Irregardless" first was used in dialectical American speech in the early 20th century. And it was and has remained somewhat common in spoken English. It's even appeared in edited written prose and in reputable publications.
"Irregardless" has an easily discerned definition; it has a part of speech and an etymology. It is a series of speech sounds that symbolizes and communicates a meaning without being divisible into smaller units capable of independent use. It is, by use and definition, a word.
But just because a word's a word doesn't necessarily mean you should use it. Even we at Merriam-Webster, accused of being overly permissive descriptivists, warn that "irregardless" is nonstandard. We encourage you to use "regardless" instead. If you do use "irregardless," prepare to be corrected and accused of ignorance. On the other hand, saying that "irregardless" is not a real word—in spite of all the evidence to the contrary—is just a different kind of ignorance.
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Credits
Merriam-Webster

Merriam-Webster

About “Irregardless” by Merriam-Webster

Read the complete lyrics to "Irregardless" by Merriam-Webster from the album "Merriam-Webster Ask the Editor" in 2012. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music, Literature.

"Irregardless" is performed by Merriam-Webster. from the album "Merriam-Webster Ask the Editor" in 2012 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Irregardless", explore more songs by Merriam-Webster using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Irregardless" is credited to Merriam-Webster. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Irregardless" appears on "Merriam-Webster Ask the Editor" in 2012.

Visit the Merriam-Webster artist page at /artist/merriam-webster for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.