regard

1. verb

1)

we regard these results as encouraging

Syn:

consider, look on, view, see, think of, judge, deem, estimate, assess, reckon, adjudge, rate, gauge

2)

he regarded her coldly

Syn:

look at, contemplate, eye, gaze at, stare at; watch, observe, view, study, scrutinize; literary behold

2. noun

1)

she has no regard for human life

Syn:

consideration, care, concern, thought, notice, heed, attention

2)

doctors are held in high regard

Syn:

esteem, respect, acclaim, admiration, approval, approbation, estimation

See note at esteem

3) (regards)

Jamie sends his regards

Syn:

best wishes, good wishes, greetings, kind/kindest regards, felicitations, salutations, respects, compliments, best, love

4)

his steady regard

Syn:

look, fixed look, gaze, stare; observation, contemplation, study, scrutiny

5)

in this regard I disagree with you

Syn:

respect, aspect, point, item, particular, detail, specific; matter, issue, topic, question

•

- in regard to

- with regard to

••

regard

As a noun in with regard to and in regard to, the singular noun is correct. The plural form (as in with regards to and in regards to) is, to put it charitably, poor usage — e.g.: "Single men and women are overwhelmed and confused by a barrage of information and advice on what to do and what not to do in regards to [read in regard to] finding Mr. Right and Ms. Girl-of-My-Dreams." (Ebony; Dec. 1997.) The acceptable forms are best used as introductory phrases. But even these may be advantageously replaced by a single word such as concerning, regarding, or considering, or even in, about, or for.

The plural regards is acceptable in this sense only in the phrase as regards, a traditional literary idiom (though now a little old-fashioned). But some writers mistakenly use with regards to — e.g.: "He became furious at the mere mention of … the columnist who accused him recently of ‘judicial exhibitionism’ with regards to [read with regard to] his trade-agreement ruling." (New York Times; Sept. 17, 1993.)

The verb regard commonly appears in two combinations. The one phrase, highly regarded, is a vague expression of praise; the other, widely regarded as, usually leads to words of praise — though it would certainly be possible to say that someone is "widely regarded as beneath contempt." It's a mistake, however, to truncate the latter phrase — to say widely regarded in place of highly regarded: "Crotty has published four novels since leaving the newspaper, and he's widely regarded [read highly regarded] by both fiction writers and journalists." — BG