definitions

aberration

[ ab-uh-rey-shuhn ]
/ ˌæb əˈreɪ ʃən /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR aberration ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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RELATED WORDS

aberrant, errant

Nearby words

aberrant, aberrant ductule, aberrant goiter, aberrant regeneration, aberrated, aberration, aberystwyth, abessive, abet, abetalipoproteinemia, abettor

Origin of aberration

1585–95; < Latin aberrātiōn- (stem of aberrātiō), equivalent to aberrāt(us), past participle of aberrāre (see aberrant) + -iōn- -ion

Related forms

ab·er·ra·tion·al, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for aberrational

  • There is, however, a still graver and quite insuperable distinction between the parallactic path and the aberrational path.

    The Story of the Heavens|Robert Stawell Ball

British Dictionary definitions for aberrational

aberration

/ (ˌæbəˈreɪʃən) /

noun

deviation from what is normal, expected, or usual
departure from truth, morality, etc
a lapse in control of one's mental faculties
optics a defect in a lens or mirror that causes the formation of either a distorted image or one with coloured fringesSee also spherical aberration, chromatic aberration
astronomy the apparent displacement of a celestial body due to the finite speed of light and the motion of the observer with the earth
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

Medicine definitions for aberrational

aberration

[ ăb′ə-rā′shən ]

n.

A departure from the normal or typical.
A psychological disorder or abnormal alteration in one's mental state.
A defect of focus, such as blurring in an image.
An imperfect image caused by a physical defect in an optical element, as in a lens.
A deviation in the normal genetic structure or number of chromosomes in an organism.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science definitions for aberrational

aberration

[ ăb′ə-rā′shən ]

A deviation in the normal structure or number of chromosomes in an organism.
A defect in a lens or mirror that prevents light rays from being focused at a single point and results in a distorted or blurred image.♦ Aberration that results in distortion of color is called chromatic aberration.♦ Aberration that is caused by imperfections in the surface or shape of a spherical mirror or lens is called spherical aberration. See also astigmatism coma2.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.