abnormal

[ ab-nawr-muhl ]

adjective

1. not normal, average, typical, or usual; deviating from a standard:

   abnormal powers of concentration; an abnormal amount of snow; abnormal behavior.

   Synonyms: odd, unnatural, deviant, irregular, aberrant, anomalous

2. extremely or excessively large:

   abnormal profit.

abnormal

/ æbˈnɔːməl /

adjective

1. not normal; deviating from the usual or typical; extraordinary
2. informal.
   odd in behaviour or appearance; strange

Derived Forms

• abˈnormally, adverb

Other Words From

• ab·normal·ly adverb
• ab·normal·ness noun
• super·ab·normal adjective
• super·ab·normal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of abnormal¹

First recorded in 1850–55; ab- + normal; replacing anormal, from Medieval Latin anōrmālus, variant of anōmālus anomalous, influenced by Latin norma norm

Word History and Origins

Origin of abnormal¹

C19: ab- ¹+ normal , replacing earlier anormal from Medieval Latin anormalus, a blend of Late Latin anōmalus anomalous + Latin abnormis departing from a rule

Synonym Study

See irregular.

Example Sentences

The next year, China banned “sissy men and other abnormal aesthetics” from broadcast television.

From Los Angeles Times

Except it wasn’t odd for him — just abnormal compared with the previous 10 California governors going back 82 years.

From Los Angeles Times

These abnormal times have made Trump and Harris not “just” politicians.

From Salon

That dynamic only intensified as politicians and voters accepted the new abnormal as normal.

From Los Angeles Times

Prostate cancer - abnormal and uncontrolled cell growth - often develops slowly.

From BBC

Related Words

• aberrant
• anomalous
• atypical
• bizarre
• exceptional
• extraordinary
• irregular
• odd
• peculiar
• strange
• uncommon
• unexpected
• unnatural
• unusual
• weird