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.
The implication that aberrant personality disorders might not be the exclusive purview of humans.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
Colors become aberrant, shifting suddenly from greens into turquoise blue, while authentic nature steps aside for abstraction.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 22, 2025
Lombardy's Lega party president, Attilio Fontana, said a guilty verdict would be "so aberrant, even from a judicial point of view, that I don't even want to think about it".
From BBC • Dec. 19, 2024
Four dynamics are highlighted here: self-excuses, blame-shifting, gaslighting and normalizing aberrant behavior.
From Salon • Nov. 9, 2024
A crime is a relatively rare and aberrant event.
From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
