abnormal
Americanadjective
-
not normal; deviating from the usual or typical; extraordinary
-
informal odd in behaviour or appearance; strange
Related Words
See irregular.
Other Word Forms
- abnormally adverb
- abnormalness noun
- superabnormal adjective
- superabnormally adverb
Etymology
Origin of abnormal
First recorded in 1850–55; ab- + normal; replacing anormal, from Medieval Latin anōrmālus, variant of anōmālus anomalous, influenced by Latin norma norm
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.
High potassium levels can lead to abnormal heart rhythms.
From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026
This month, the zoo announced Tina was suffering from an infection and abnormal buildup of fluid in her uterus.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026
"This is abnormal, for sure," says Mukesh Sahdev, chief oil analysts at XAnalysts.
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026
Tedros said the International Atomic Energy Agency was looking into the strikes, and "no indications of abnormal or increased off-site radiation levels have been reported".
From Barron's • Mar. 22, 2026
In the New Orleans show, I felt all the amusement of the improbable abnormal, but also a kind of horror that it could be so.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
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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.