regex

6 synonyms for regex, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A short line of symbols that describes a pattern of text, used to find, check or replace pieces of writing that match that pattern; short for regular expression.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

pattern

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

regular expression search pattern regexp regular expression syntax pattern syntax

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A short line of symbols that describes a pattern of text, used to find, check or replace pieces of writing that match that pattern; short for regular expression.

“He wrote a regex to pull every date out of the log file.”

regular expression pattern search pattern regexp

2. noun computing

The notation itself, taken as a whole: the set of rules by which such patterns are written.

“Regex differs slightly between programming languages, so a pattern that works in one may need adjusting in another.”

regular expression syntax pattern syntax

How to use regex

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

write a regex regex pattern match a regex regex replace

Technical and informal; regular expression is the formal term used in documentation.

Etymology

A shortening of regular expression.

Full origin of regex →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a regex and an ordinary search?

An ordinary search looks for the exact characters you typed. A regex describes a shape of text instead, so one pattern can match anything that fits the description, such as any five-digit number or any word ending in ing.

Is regex a programming language?

No. It is a notation for describing text patterns, used inside programming languages, editors and command-line tools. On its own it cannot store values or perform general computation the way a programming language can.

How is regex pronounced?

Most commonly REJ-eks, with a soft g, although REG-eks with a hard g is also heard. Both are widely understood, and the full form regular expression is unambiguous.

People also searched

pattern

Nearby words

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