Irregardless or Regardless?

Question: Someone in my office told me that there is no such word as “irregardless.” Is she right?

Answer: She’s right! You can say “regardless,” however, which IS a word.
Now you probably want to know why irregardless is not a word when so many people use it.

“-less” at the end of a word means “without.” (Think about “toothless.”) That makes “regardLESS” mean “WITHOUT regard,” which is probably what you mean when you say “irregardless.”

So what does “irregardless” mean? Nothing—It’s a double negative that reverses the meaning of what you think you are saying. You know what? Don’t say it!