Irregulars

Irregulars is a term used in English and other languages, as well as in historical and cultural contexts, to refer to people, forms, or units that do not conform to standard patterns or classifications. The word is widely applied across disciplines to indicate deviations from established rules, norms, or structures.

In linguistics and grammar, irregulars describe words whose inflection or conjugation does not follow the regular patterns of a language. English provides well-known examples among verbs, such as go/went, be/was, and have/had, where tense or aspect forms diverge from the expected rule. Irregular plurals, like child/children and goose/geese, also illustrate how historical sound changes and analogy can produce exceptions. Irregular forms can occur in noun, verb, adjective, and pronoun systems, and they often persist due to frequency of use or historical factors.

In military and security terminology, irregulars refer to armed groups that do not belong to a country's regular standing army. These can include guerrilla bands, partisan fighters, militias, or paramilitary organizations. Irregulars may operate clandestinely or in decentralized structures and often rely on unconventional tactics. The term can carry neutral or negative connotations depending on context and perspective, and it is commonly used in historical accounts and strategic analyses.

In popular culture, the title or concept of irregulars has appeared in media, including television series and novels, where groups described as irregulars may play central roles or thematic functions, such as operating outside formal institutions or challenging established authority.

Overall, irregulars denote departures from expected patterns, whether in language, military organization, or cultural representation, and the term is used across fields to highlight nonconformity and exceptions.