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Showing results for atypical. Search instead for surpass typical.
Synonyms

atypical

American  
[ey-tip-i-kuhl] / eɪˈtɪp ɪ kəl /
Also atypic

adjective

  1. not typical; not conforming to the type; irregular; abnormal.

    atypical behavior; a flower atypical of the species.


atypical British  
/ eɪˈtɪpɪkəl /

adjective

  1. not typical; deviating from or not conforming to type

"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

Usage

What does atypical mean? Atypical is used to describe something that does not conform to the norm or that is irregular, such as an atypical behavior or an atypical action.Something that is atypical differs in a noticeable way from other items of its kind. An atypical flower might be a flower that glows in the dark (if you discover one, let us know!). An atypical horror film could be one in which the monster tries to be friends with everyone rather than kill them.Example: These fixtures are atypical of our usual products.

Other Word Forms

  • atypicality noun
  • atypically adverb

Etymology

Origin of atypical

First recorded in 1880–85; a- 6 + typical

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.

That was atypical for Cook, who normally cuts inventory to the bone to maximize Apple’s cash flow.

From The Wall Street Journal

Value may indeed exist there—though perhaps of the atypical variety.

From Barron's

Like when they faced Liverpool, Galatasaray will be playing a Premier League side out of form but Garcia Gomez is wary of City's style of play, which is atypical of most English teams.

From BBC

In some ways, 2025 was atypical for inflation—and how it is measured.

From The Wall Street Journal

These atypical numbers cut across the spectrum of the blood panel, Cheng said.

From Los Angeles Times