on an irregular basis
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adverb: In a manner that is not regular, consistent, or predictable; occurring at uneven or random intervals.
Usage
This adverb phrase describes actions or events that happen in a sporadic, occasional, or haphazard way, without a fixed pattern or schedule. It emphasizes the lack of regularity.
Examples
- The bus service runs on an irregular basis, so checking the schedule is essential.
- He only visits his hometown on an irregular basis, perhaps once every few years.
- The committee meets on an irregular basis, whenever urgent issues arise.
- Data was collected on an irregular basis, making long-term trends difficult to analyze.
Advanced Usage
- Formal/Technical Context: Often used in formal, academic, or technical writing to describe non-systematic data collection, meetings, or processes.
- Maintenance is performed on an irregular basis, primarily in response to equipment failures.
Variants and Related Words
- Irregularly (adv.): The single-word synonym with the same core meaning.
- The patient's heartbeat was irregularly.
- Sporadically (adv.): Happening at irregular intervals, especially with occasional bursts of activity.
- Occasionally (adv.): Happening from time to time, but not often or regularly.
- Intermittently (adv.): Stopping and starting at irregular intervals.
Synonyms
- Irregularly
- Sporadically
- Erratically
- Fitfully
- Haphazardly
- Occasionally
Antonyms
- Regularly
- Consistently
- Systematically
- Periodically
- Routinely
Adverb
- in an irregular manner
- her letters arrived irregularly