anomalous

[ uh-nom-uh-luh s ]

/ əˈnɒm ə ləs /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR anomalous ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

deviating from or inconsistent with the common order, form, or rule; irregular; abnormal: Advanced forms of life may be anomalous in the universe.

not fitting into a common or familiar type, classification, or pattern; unusual: He held an anomalous position in the art world.

incongruous or inconsistent.

Grammar. irregular.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

anomalad, anomalism, anomalistic, anomalistic month, anomalistic year, anomalous, anomalous complex, anomalous correspondence, anomalous dispersion, anomalous monism, anomalous zeeman effect

Origin of anomalous

1640–50; (< Medieval Latin, Late Latin anōmalus) < Greek anṓmalos irregular, equivalent to an- an-¹ + homalós even, with ō by analogy with other Gk privatives (cf. anopheles); see homo-, -ous

Related forms

a·nom·a·lous·ly, adverba·nom·a·lous·ness, noun

Can be confused

anomalous anonymous euonymus unanimous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for anomalous

No matter the name, the purported “anomalous primate” has long been the subject of a cycle of stories and skepticism.
Sorry Bigfoot Truthers: Yetis Aren’t Real|Elizabeth Picciuto|July 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Alito opened the door by questioning the “anomalous” Abood precedent, which lets states coerce union members into paying dues.
The Conservative Case for Unions After the Harris v. Quinn Decision|James Poulos|July 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The bank acknowledges that it has some problems, but says they are anomalous.
The Money-Laundering Vatican Bank Comes Clean|Barbie Latza Nadeau|May 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
History has not decided about Carter because he is so anomalous.
A George W. Bush Comeback?|Lloyd Grove|April 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST

The recent auction records are not as anomalous as they may appear.
The Next Art Bubble|Vikram Mansharamani|April 13, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Very many verbs seem to be anomalous in some of their forms in consequence of deriving these from an obsolete kindred root.
Greek in a Nutshell|James Strong
I need not say that all this got righted in time, but the anomalous condition described did exist originally.
Villainage in England|Paul Vinogradoff
There is not, indeed, in the history of any nation or community any record of an office so anomalous.
Ave Roma Immortalis, Vol. 2|Francis Marion Crawford
The problem presented by these anomalous areas has already been discussed in the chapter on the Rule of Descent.
Kinship Organisations and Group Marriage in Australia|Northcote W. Thomas
An anomalous individual, lacking a right pelvic fin, was found in Lone Star Lake.
Fishes of the Wakarusa River in Kansas|James E. Deacon

British Dictionary definitions for anomalous

anomalous

/ (əˈnɒmələs) /

adjective

deviating from the normal or usual order, type, etc; irregular, abnormal, or incongruous

Derived Forms

anomalously, adverbanomalousness, noun

Word Origin for anomalous

C17: from Late Latin anōmalus, from Greek anōmalos uneven, inconsistent, from an- + homalos even, from homos one and the same

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