anomalous

American  

[uh-nom-uh-luhs] / əˈnɒm ə ləs /

adjective

1. deviating from or inconsistent with the common order, form, or rule; irregular; abnormal.

   Advanced forms of life may be anomalous in the universe.

2. not fitting into a common or familiar type, classification, or pattern; unusual.

   He held an anomalous position in the art world.

3. incongruous or inconsistent.

4. Grammar. irregular.

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anomalous British  

/ əˈnɒmələs /

adjective

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

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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

Example Sentences

Ms Sánchez said the blackout was caused by a combination of issues, including an "unknown event" in the system moments before, which saw anomalous voltage oscillations.

From BBC

But a lesson is also the difficulty of concealing such cheating given the ease of detecting anomalous betting patterns.

From The Wall Street Journal

“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

“Those who may have been holding out hope that some of this was anomalous and this recklessness was temporary, I think now deeply understand what’s at stake,” he said.

From Salon

Prof Armstrong said it was "anomalous that we have one single state organisation that is immune from prosecution".

From BBC

Related Words

• abnormal
• atypical
• divergent
• incongruous
• peculiar
• unnatural