adjective
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deviating from the normal or usual type, as certain animals from the group in which they are classified
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behaving in an abnormal or untypical way
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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
Explanation
Use the adjective aberrant to describe unusual conduct. Sitting in a bathtub and singing show tunes all day long might be considered aberrant behavior. For conduct that departs from the norm, aberrant is at hand to describe it if you want to set a formal, or even scientific tone to the discussion. You can put the accent on either the first syllable (AB-er-ent) or the second (uh-BER-ent); both pronunciations are acceptable. The Latin root aberrare means "to go astray," from the prefix ab- "off, away" plus errare "to wander." Other descendants of errare in English, like error and errant, have that double -r- and also refer to something that's either not wanted or not expected.
Vocabulary lists containing aberrant
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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The Stars Beneath Our Feet
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Judge Alan Schneider said during Monday's hearing that his behaviour when he was arrested was "aberrant from his normal conduct", his lawyer Christy O'Connor told BBC News after the hearing.
From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026
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.
From Salon • Sep. 25, 2025
Again, the answer lies in the collective mindset of reality TV, whose fans are highly tolerant of aberrant behavior and quick to forgive missteps.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 19, 2025
But before the aberrant antibodies behind autoimmune encephalitis were unmasked, many affected individuals died in intensive care units.
From Science Magazine • May 15, 2024
The basset-hound data, Bateson argued, was either aberrant or inaccurate.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
