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anomaly

[ uh-nom-uh-lee ]
/ əˈnɒm ə li /
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See synonyms for: anomaly / anomalies on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural a·nom·a·lies.
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Origin of anomaly

First recorded in 1565–75; from Latin anƍmalia, from Greek anƍmalĂ­a, equivalent to anáč“mal(os) “irregular” + -ia noun suffix; see anomalous, -ia
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use anomaly in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for anomaly

anomaly
/ (əˈnɒməlÉȘ) /

noun plural -lies
something anomalous
deviation from the normal or usual order, type, etc; irregularity
astronomy
  1. Also called: true anomaly the angle between a planet, the sun, and the previous perihelion of the planet
  2. Also called: eccentric anomaly the 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
  3. Also called: mean anomaly the 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
  1. Also called: gravity anomaly a 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
  2. Also called: magnetic anomaly a 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

Derived forms of anomaly

anomalistic, adjectiveanomalistically, adverb
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
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