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View synonyms for anomaly

anomaly

[ uh-nom-uh-lee ]

noun

, plural a·nom·a·lies.
  1. a deviation from the common rule, type, arrangement, or form.

    Synonyms: exception, aberration, abnormality

  2. an anomalous person or thing; one that is abnormal or does not fit in:

    With his quiet nature, he was an anomaly in his exuberant family.

    Synonyms: exception, aberration, abnormality

  3. an odd, peculiar, or strange condition, situation, quality, etc.
  4. an incongruity or inconsistency.
  5. Astronomy. a quantity measured in degrees, defining the position of an orbiting body with respect to the point at which it is nearest to or farthest from its primary.
  6. Meteorology. the amount of deviation of a meteorological quantity from the accepted normal value of that quantity.
  7. Grammar. irregularity.


anomaly

/ əˈnɒməlɪ /

noun

  1. something anomalous
  2. deviation from the normal or usual order, type, etc; irregularity
  3. astronomy
    1. Also calledtrue anomaly the angle between a planet, the sun, and the previous perihelion of the planet
    2. Also calledeccentric anomaly the angle between the periapsis of a particular point on a circle round the orbit as seen from the centre of the orbit. This point is obtained by producing a perpendicular to the major axis of the ellipse through the orbiting body until it reaches the circumference of the circle
    3. Also calledmean anomaly the angle between the periapsis of an orbit and the position of an imaginary body orbiting at a constant angular speed and in the same period as the real orbiting body
  4. geology
    1. Also calledgravity anomaly a deviation from the normal value of gravity at the earth's surface, caused by density differences at depth, for example those caused by a buried mineral body
    2. Also calledmagnetic anomaly a magnetic field, for example one produced by a buried mineral body, that deviates from an expected or standard value, usually that of the earth's magnetic field
“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


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Derived Forms

  • aˌnomaˈlistic, adjective
  • aˌnomaˈlistically, adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of anomaly1

First recorded in 1565–75; from Latin anōmalia, from Greek anōmalía, equivalent to anṓmal(os) “irregular” + -ia noun suffix; anomalous, -ia
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Example Sentences

The Real-Life ‘Downton’ Millionairesses Who Changed BritainBy Tim Teeman Lady Grantham of ‘Downton Abbey’ is far from an anomaly.

Recovery from a long-term eating disorder is a bit of a statistical anomaly.

And because of this anomaly, authenticators concluded it was not an original.

“What I see in the pictures is to a large extent an anomaly to the culture of the Syrian army,” he said.

One anomaly of this past holiday mayhem is that a significant number of the shootings were not gang-related.

But the testimony is scarcely ever found to stand that test, in cases in which the anomaly is not real.

"Your speech is an anomaly, Mr. Mole," responded Jack, mimicking the voice of his tutor in his happiest manner.

A man possessed of a new idea is an anomaly, a something that may not be impossible, but which has never appeared.

But the Maine law, which permits the importation of liquor into the state, whilst it prohibits its sale, is a useless anomaly.

A giant with the tastes and disposition of a schoolgirl was an anomaly in a Swiss village.

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anomalous monismanomia