anomaly
- a deviation from the common rule, type, arrangement, or form.
- an anomalous person or thing; one that is abnormal or does not fit in: With his quiet nature, he was an anomaly in his exuberant family.
- an odd, peculiar, or strange condition, situation, quality, etc.
- an incongruity or inconsistency.
- Astronomy. a quantity measured in degrees, defining the position of an orbiting body with respect to the point at which it is nearest to or farthest from its primary.
- Meteorology. the amount of deviation of a meteorological quantity from the accepted normal value of that quantity.
- Grammar. irregularity.
Origin of anomaly
Related Words for anomalies
deviation, abnormality, oddity, aberration, rarity, irregularity, inconsistency, exception, incongruity, departure, peculiarity, eccentricity, unorthodoxy, unconformityExamples from the Web for anomalies
Contemporary Examples of anomalies
Though the documented cases of direct killing are not numerous, they must be taken very seriously and not dismissed as anomalies.
The other 22 Republican senators are probably lost (although there are a couple of anomalies among that 22).
Investigators are also looking into anomalies in the life of the cyclist who was killed at the scene.
So there were some anomalies about this contest that Democrats should be aware of.
But those shining moments have been anomalies, and this week's episodes served as a microcosm of this season's problems.
Historical Examples of anomalies
How strange and how unceasing are the anomalies of Irish life!
The Knight Of Gwynne, Vol. I (of II)Charles James Lever
The ears of criminals and epileptics exhibit a number of anomalies.
Criminal ManGina Lombroso-Ferrero
After the incisors, the premolars show the greatest number of anomalies.
Criminal ManGina Lombroso-Ferrero
The anomalies of the present situation are in some cases amusing.
Ten Thousand Miles with a Dog SledHudson Stuck
It is inevitable that the question should arise—Shall these anomalies be meddled with?
English Past and PresentRichard Chevenix Trench
anomaly
- something anomalous
- deviation from the normal or usual order, type, etc; irregularity
- astronomy
- Also called: true anomalythe angle between a planet, the sun, and the previous perihelion of the planet
- Also called: eccentric anomalythe angle between the periapsis of a particular point on a circle round the orbit as seen from the centre of the orbit. This point is obtained by producing a perpendicular to the major axis of the ellipse through the orbiting body until it reaches the circumference of the circle
- Also called: mean anomalythe angle between the periapsis of an orbit and the position of an imaginary body orbiting at a constant angular speed and in the same period as the real orbiting body
- geology
- Also called: gravity anomalya deviation from the normal value of gravity at the earth's surface, caused by density differences at depth, for example those caused by a buried mineral body
- Also called: magnetic anomalya magnetic field, for example one produced by a buried mineral body, that deviates from an expected or standard value, usually that of the earth's magnetic field
Word Origin and History for anomalies
anomaly
anomaly
(ə-nŏm′ə-lē)- A deviation from the average or norm.