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
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 ( cf. 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.
More than 160 files were released Friday on the website of the Defense Department, which officially refers to UFOs as "Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena," or UAPs.
From Barron's • May 8, 2026
It´s based on a quantum phenomenon called Quantum Anomalous Hall effect.
From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2024
While many reports of what the government now calls Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena remain unsolved, the new document states plainly there is nothing to see.
From New York Times • Mar. 8, 2024
New modeling, published this month in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, suggests they caught a lucky break: Anomalous atmospheric conditions may have greatly extended the range of their missile radar.
From Science Magazine • Nov. 17, 2023
Anomalous Color Changes of the Hair.—The hair is liable to undergo certain changes of color connected with some modification of that part of the bulb secreting its coloring-matter.
From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Pyle, Walter L. (Walter Lytle)
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.
