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
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
Explanation
If you get a snowstorm in the middle of July, you could say that you are experiencing “abnormal weather.” Something that is abnormal is out of the ordinary, or not typical. Abnormal is a combination of the Latin prefix ab which means “away from,” and the English word normal. It essentially means “not normal,” or "unusual.” Abnormal implies that whatever is “not normal” is also undesirable. However, abnormal is sometimes used in a positive context. The phrase “abnormal intelligence,” for instance, usually refers to someone with especially high intelligence.
Vocabulary lists containing abnormal
Lesson 1
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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"Modern Automotive Technology," Vocabulary from Section 6
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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.
At the age of 3, he was diagnosed with leukemia: a cancer that causes the body to produce too many abnormal white blood cells.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
“This is abnormal — I haven’t seen anything like this in my entire career,” Roos told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch • May 17, 2026
“The shipping industry needs to prepare for the possibility that Hormuz transits could remain abnormal, not just through the end of May, but for months beyond,” Greg Miller, a senior maritime reporter, wrote.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
After Miller landed a finance internship at a local hospital, he received an abnormal result on a mandatory drug screening that led to a surprising discovery: He had Type 1 diabetes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
That evening, as I set the table for dinner, I heard Amaka say, “Are you sure they’re not abnormal, Mom? Kambili just behaved like an atulu when my friends came.”
From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
