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Synonyms

abnormal

American  
[ab-nawr-muhl] / æbˈnɔr məl /

adjective

  1. not normal, average, typical, or usual; deviating from a standard.

    abnormal powers of concentration; an abnormal amount of snow; abnormal behavior.

    Synonyms:
    odd, unnatural, deviant, irregular, aberrant, anomalous
  2. extremely or excessively large.

    abnormal profit.


abnormal British  
/ æbˈnɔːməl /

adjective

  1. not normal; deviating from the usual or typical; extraordinary

  2. informal odd in behaviour or appearance; strange

"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

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.

A Global Times editorial published on Thursday said the lack of people-to-people exchanges between the countries and the long absence of a US presidential visit to China was "abnormal and should not be the case".

From BBC • Mar. 25, 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 January, California achieved zero areas of abnormal dryness for the first time in 25 years thanks to a deluge of winter storms, according to the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

Even in abnormal political times, competition can be healthy, spurring journalists to match or outdo rival outlets.

From Slate • Mar. 18, 2026

From that moment forward, Roscuro showed an abnormal, inordinate interest in illumination of all sorts.

From "The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread" by Kate DiCamillo