irregularity
irregularity — 名詞
- irregularitysingular
- irregularitiesplural
1. a place or area where a surface or object is not smooth, even, or symmetrical —
形狀異常
表面或形狀不平整或不對稱的狀態
a place or area where a surface or object is not smooth, even, or symmetrical — for example, a bump on a road, an uneven row of teeth, or an unusual mark on a wall.
The dentist noticed a small irregularity on the surface of Yael's front tooth.
牙醫注意到 Yael 門牙表面有一個小小的形狀異常。
uncountable: 'a small irregularity' as a specific spot
Pedro felt an irregularity in the road and slowed his bicycle to inspect the spot.
Pedro 感覺路面有一處凹凸不平，於是放慢腳踏車速度查看那個位置。
A tiny irregularity in the window glass made everything look slightly wavy from certain angles.
窗戶玻璃上一處微小的異常，讓從某些角度看出去的東西都變得有點扭曲。
Doctors examined the irregularity on Rin's X-ray to decide whether it needed further checks.
醫師檢查了 Rin 的 X 光片上的形狀異常，以判斷是否需要進一步檢查。
The inspector ran his hand along the plaster and stopped when he felt an irregularity.
督察用手撫過灰泥表面，摸到一處凹凸不平的地方時停了下來。
- unevenness
focuses on the lack of a level surface; less technical
- asymmetry
specifically about lack of mirror-image balance; more formal
- flaw
emphasises that the irregularity is a defect or imperfection
- regularity
the quality of being even, smooth, or symmetrical
- uniformity
the state of being the same across the whole surface
用法筆記
Can describe both tiny flaws (a bump on a surface) and larger uneven patterns (an irregular skyline). In medical contexts it often refers to suspicious tissue growth seen on scans.
常見錯誤
2. an action or practice that goes against official rules, laws, or accepted standa
違規行為
違反規則或不正當的作法
an action or practice that goes against official rules, laws, or accepted standards of honesty and fairness — often used in contexts of financial mismanagement, administrative mistakes, or procedural errors.
The bank discovered several financial irregularities in the loan department records.
銀行在貸款部門的紀錄中發現了幾起財務違規行為。
countable/plural: irregularities in [area/department]
A routine audit revealed accounting irregularities that had gone unnoticed for two years.
一次例行查帳揭露了兩年來一直未被發現的會計違規問題。
Megan was suspended after an internal review found irregularities in her travel expense reports.
Megan 在內部審查發現她的差旅報帳有不當之處後遭到停職。
The election committee hired outside lawyers to investigate claims of voting irregularity.
選舉委員會聘請外部律師調查有關投票違規的指控。
Charlotte's contract was cancelled when the company uncovered irregularities in her hiring documents.
公司在 Charlotte 的聘僱文件中發現違規事項後，解除了她的合約。
- misconduct
stronger term implying deliberate wrongdoing; more serious
- breach
focuses on the act of breaking a specific rule or agreement
- anomaly
more neutral; suggests something unusual that may or may not be improper
- regularity
the quality of following correct procedures
- propriety
correct and acceptable behaviour
用法筆記
Often appears in the plural form (irregularities) since improper conduct typically involves multiple violations. The word does not necessarily mean illegal — it covers any departure from proper procedure.
常見錯誤
3. the condition of an event, process, or biological function whose timing varies i
不規律
事件發生的時間不固定、沒有規律
the condition of an event, process, or biological function whose timing varies instead of following a predictable, steady pattern — for instance, a heartbeat that does not keep a constant rhythm or a train service that arrives at unpredictable times.
Minh's doctor said the irregularity of his heartbeat needed further tests.
Minh 的醫生說他心跳不規律需要進一步檢查。
uncountable: 'the irregularity of [something]'
The irregularity of the bus service frustrated commuters waiting at the city-hall stop.
公車時刻不固定讓市政廳站等車的通勤族感到十分不便。
Charlotte tracked the irregularity of her monthly payments after switching to freelance work.
Charlotte 轉為自由接案後，記錄了每月入帳時間不規律的情況。
The patient complained about an irregularity in her breathing whenever she climbed stairs.
那位病人抱怨自己爬樓梯時呼吸會出現不規律的狀況。
The irregularity of the rainfall made it hard for farmers to plan their planting season.
降雨時間不固定，讓農民難以規劃播種季節。
- inconsistency
broader term covering any lack of uniformity, not just timing
- unpredictability
emphasises the inability to know when something will happen
- variation
more neutral; suggests natural fluctuation rather than a problem
- regularity
steady, predictable timing
- consistency
the quality of happening the same way each time
用法筆記
Uncountable when referring to the general condition ('the irregularity of the service'); countable when referring to one specific instance of uneven timing ('an irregularity in her heartbeat').