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

Other Word Forms

• aberrance noun
• aberrancy noun
• aberrantly 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

Ending the survey allows the government to preserve a different story, one in which scarcity is aberrant and prosperity is the norm, and any evidence to the contrary can be written off as exceptional.

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Colors become aberrant, shifting suddenly from greens into turquoise blue, while authentic nature steps aside for abstraction.

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

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Parents’ exposure to plastics was “consistently and significantly associated” with lower cognitive scores in their children who had autism, increases in “aberrant behaviors” and deficits in basic life skills, the study found.

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Trump's tsunami of aberrant and dangerous and unprecedented behavior continues and is speeding up.

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Related Words

• abnormal