aberration

American  

[ab-uh-rey-shuhn] / ˌæb əˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of departing from the right, normal, or usual course.

   Leaving that spelling error in her final report was an aberration from her usual meticulous work, and it surprised her colleagues.

   Synonyms:

   divergence, deviation, wandering

2. an instance of deviating from the ordinary, usual, or normal type.

   Certain disorders may be caused by a chromosomal aberration, such as the absence or duplication of a particular chromosome.

   Last season was an aberration in the league, with a sharp increase in the number of injuries to players.

3. deviation from truth or from good ethics.

   Disgust may begin as physical revulsion that is eventually triggered by anything a person sees as moral aberration.

4. a departure from sound thinking; lapse in judgment.

   Through some strange aberration or oversight, the author rejected my own much more subtle and effective amendments.

   Synonyms:

   hallucination, delusion, illusion, eccentricity, abnormality

5. Astronomy. apparent displacement of a heavenly body, owing to the motion of the earth in its orbit.

6. Optics. any disturbance of the rays of a pencil of light such that they can no longer be brought to a sharp focus or form a clear image.

7. Photography. a defect in a camera lens or lens system, due to flaws in design, material, or construction, that can distort the image.

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aberration British  

/ ˌæbəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. deviation from what is normal, expected, or usual

2. departure from truth, morality, etc

3. a lapse in control of one's mental faculties

4. optics a defect in a lens or mirror that causes the formation of either a distorted image or one with coloured fringes See also spherical aberration chromatic aberration

5. astronomy the apparent displacement of a celestial body due to the finite speed of light and the motion of the observer with the earth

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aberration Scientific  

/ ăb′ə-rā′shən /

1. A deviation in the normal structure or number of chromosomes in an organism.

2. A defect in a lens or mirror that prevents light rays from being focused at a single point and results in a distorted or blurred image.

3. ◆ Aberration that results in distortion of color is called chromatic aberration.

4. ◆ Aberration that is caused by imperfections in the surface or shape of a spherical mirror or lens is called spherical aberration.

5. See also astigmatism coma

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Other Word Forms

• aberrational adjective

Etymology

Origin of aberration

First recorded in 1585–95; from Latin aberrātiōn-, stem of aberrātiō “distraction, diversion, relief (from pain or sorrow),” from aberrāt(us) “diverted, deviated” (past participle of aberrāre “to divert, forget for a time,” also “to wander, deviate”; see aberrant) + -iō -ion

Explanation

An aberration is something strange that rarely occurs. An example of an aberration is when the temperature in Minnesota hits 90 degrees in January — it's nice and warm, but it's really strange. The noun aberration often refers to something that doesn't fit with current moral standards, or is something that shows a mental lack of control. Aberration comes from the Latin word that means "to wander, go astray." Today, you'd say it was an aberration to send little children to work in coal mines and factories and not to school, which was common in the 19th century. There's a very old poem called "The Chimney Sweep" about a boy who cleans chimneys and is only about five years old!

Example Sentences

Nonetheless, when it comes to a deliberate exploration of men’s inner lives—how they think, feel and express themselves—the male psyche is becoming less the norm than an aberration.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

It’s tempting to see these developments as a victory, as the rule of law slowly reasserting itself over a deadly aberration in America’s social contract.

From Slate • Jan. 29, 2026

"Allowing millions of human beings to live -- and die -- victims of hunger is a collective failure, an ethical aberration, a historical sin," Leo said in a speech at the Rome-based UN agricultural agency.

From Barron's • Oct. 16, 2025

It has been one of its recurring features, not an aberration but a persistent force, destructive and yet oddly creative, producing new boundaries and new regimes.

From Salon • Sep. 16, 2025

Didn’t he say that it’s our culture which allows us to believe that violence is an aberration, and that the primitive warfare we choose to ignore is a manifestation of nature, biology, and instinct?

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Related Words

• deviation
• distortion
• diversion
• lapse