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Synonyms

atypical

American  
[ey-tip-i-kuhl] / eɪˈtɪp ɪ kəl /
Also atypic

adjective

  1. not typical; not conforming to the type; irregular; abnormal.

    atypical behavior; a flower atypical of the species.
atypical British  
/ eɪˈtɪpɪkəl /

adjective

  1. not typical; deviating from or not conforming to type

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does atypical mean? Atypical is used to describe something that does not conform to the norm or that is irregular, such as an atypical behavior or an atypical action.Something that is atypical differs in a noticeable way from other items of its kind. An atypical flower might be a flower that glows in the dark (if you discover one, let us know!). An atypical horror film could be one in which the monster tries to be friends with everyone rather than kill them.Example: These fixtures are atypical of our usual products.

Other Word Forms

  • atypicality noun
  • atypically adverb

Etymology

Origin of atypical

First recorded in 1880–85; a- 6 + typical

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.