aberrant

American  

[uh-ber-uhnt, ab-er-] / əˈbɛr ənt, ˈæb ər- /

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 British  

/ 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

---

Other Word Forms

• aberrance noun
• aberrancy noun
• aberrantly adverb

Etymology

Origin of aberrant

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

Example Sentences

"This is just an aberrant episode in an otherwise productive life," she said, according to the Reuters news agency.

From BBC • Aug. 27, 2025

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

From Salon • Aug. 13, 2024

He hoped doing so might help him improve treatments for cardiac arrhythmias — aberrant rhythms of the heart — that can prove dangerous and even deadly.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2024

The collaborative study conducted by Tampere University and Tampere University Hospital examined how aberrant DNA methylation distorts cellular developmental trajectories and thereby contributes to the formation of AT/RT.

From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2024

Naomi and several of the women dressed for dinner, but I put this aberrant behavior down as a sign of approaching old age.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

Related Words

• abnormal