anomalous
Americanadjective
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deviating from or inconsistent with the common order, form, or rule; irregular; abnormal.
Advanced forms of life may be anomalous in the universe.
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not fitting into a common or familiar type, classification, or pattern; unusual.
He held an anomalous position in the art world.
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incongruous or inconsistent.
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Grammar. irregular.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- anomalously adverb
- anomalousness noun
Etymology
Origin of anomalous
First recorded in 1640–50; from Medieval Latin, Late Latin anōmalus, or directly from Greek anṓmalos “irregular,” equivalent to an- “not, lacking” an- 1 + homalós “even,” with ō by analogy with other Greek privatives ( anopheles ); an- 1, homo-, -ous
Explanation
Something that deviates from the norm is anomalous. Something anomalous can be good, such as an exciting new direction in music or art. But that anomalously low score on your math test? Not so good. To find the origins of the word anomalous we can go back to the Greek anṓmalos, meaning "uneven or irregular." Something that is anomalous is not just different; it is also unexpected, and may even be completely inconsistent with the norm. For example, the recent discovery of ice, and therefore water, on the moon was anomalous to all previous ideas that the moon was lifeless.
Vocabulary lists containing anomalous
Stories of Ourselves
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"Thomas Jefferson: The Best of Enemies," Vocabulary from the history article
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Lesson 2
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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.
It is becoming more common in some places to see mingling between men and women who aren’t relatives, socializing that was anomalous a decade ago.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026
It’s true that commodities on the whole did poorly from 2023 to 2024, but Emanuel calls that anomalous period a temporary “dip” that is now reversing.
From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026
“It’s completely unprecedented, completely anomalous — representative, I think, of a major transformation of our normal political life,” said Jack Rakove, a Stanford University emeritus professor of history and political science.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 31, 2025
Mrs Justice Lang added: "This results in an anomalous situation where officers who do not have basic vetting clearance cannot be dismissed."
From BBC • Feb. 11, 2025
Booker T. Washington had praised this anomalous situation when he had visited Durham back in 1910.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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.
