aberrant

[ uh-ber-uhnt, ab-er- ]

adjective

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

   Synonyms: wandering

2. deviating from the ordinary, usual, or normal type; exceptional; abnormal.

   Synonyms: unusual, divergent

noun

1. an aberrant person, thing, group, etc.

aberrant

/ æˈbɛrənt /

adjective

1. deviating from the normal or usual type, as certain animals from the group in which they are classified
2. behaving in an abnormal or untypical way
3. deviating from truth, morality, etc

Derived Forms

• abˈerrance, noun

Other Words From

• ab·errance ab·erran·cy noun
• ab·errant·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of aberrant¹

First recorded in 1820–30, aberrant is from the Latin word aberrant- (stem of aberrāns, present participle of aberrāre to deviate). See ab-, errant

Word History and Origins

Origin of aberrant¹

rare before c19: from the present participle of Latin aberrāre to wander away

Example Sentences

Four dynamics are highlighted here: self-excuses, blame-shifting, gaslighting and normalizing aberrant behavior.

From Salon

In all, mainstream news media’s coverage of Arlington is another example pointing to its institutional failures where Trump’s aberrant and dangerous behavior is normalized as it is processed through the endless churn of the attention economy and the 24/7 news cycle.

From Salon

So in addition to the headline about like an emergency landing in a plane . . . the fact that this one was happening a few miles from my home immediately caught my attention, just because the first instinct that comes up is like, "This is something out of the ordinary, something aberrant or abnormal must have happened."

From Salon

He was detached from reality—in a manner that was even more extreme than his normally aberrant standards.

From Salon

The abnormal and aberrant are being presented as normal and desirable.

From Salon

Related Words

• abnormal