ab·er·rant
a-ˈber-ənt 
ə-,
-ˈbe-rənt;
ˈa-bə-rənt
-ˌber-ənt,
-ˌbe-rənt
1
2
: straying from the right or normal way
aberrant misfits
aberrantly
adverb
1
: a group, individual, or structure that is not normal or typical : an aberrant group, individual, or structure
2
: a person whose behavior departs substantially from the standard
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Something aberrant has wandered away from the usual path or form. The word is generally used in a negative way; aberrant behavior, for example, may be a symptom of other problems. But the discovery of an aberrant variety of a species can be exciting news to a biologist, and identifying an aberrant gene has led the way to new treatments for diseases.
Synonyms
Examples of aberrant in a Sentence
Adjective
The stones, silvered in the moon's aberrant light, shone like spectral tombs, and the figures, which Dalgliesh knew were Helena, Lettie and the Bostocks, became discarnate shapes disappearing into the darkness.
—
P. D. James, The Private Patient, 2008
… as if he had happily spied an aberrant crocus amid the wintry gray scene of Presidential impeachment.
—Francis X. Clines, New York Times, 8 Jan. 1999
… at the brief and aberrant moment in time when it was possible to believe that America owed its great place in the world to its military and moral virtue rather than to the weight of its currency.
—Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, March 1992
a year of aberrant weather—record rainfall in the summer, record heat in the autumn
aberrant behavior can be a sign of rabies in a wild animal
P. D. James, The Private Patient, 2008
… as if he had happily spied an aberrant crocus amid the wintry gray scene of Presidential impeachment.
—Francis X. Clines, New York Times, 8 Jan. 1999
… at the brief and aberrant moment in time when it was possible to believe that America owed its great place in the world to its military and moral virtue rather than to the weight of its currency.
—Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, March 1992
a year of aberrant weather—record rainfall in the summer, record heat in the autumn
aberrant behavior can be a sign of rabies in a wild animal
Recent Examples on the Web
Paolo Confino, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024
But Trump’s conduct has been so aberrant for so long that separating genuine deterioration from routine volatility is no easy task—on what basis does one judge oscillations in something without precedent in public life?
—Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2024
The duo each took one of the genes to investigate further, initially focusing on looking for aberrant proteins coded by the mutant genes.
—Alice Park, TIME, 7 Oct. 2024
Motivated by the desire to receive a 5-star rating, the machine engages in aberrant behavior that becomes downright scary.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 9 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for aberrant 
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Adjective
However, a late-October rally in Trump’s odds was a result of aberrant betting behavior from just 1% of Polymarket’s users, according to Bloomberg.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024
But Trump’s conduct has been so aberrant for so long that separating genuine deterioration from routine volatility is no easy task—on what basis does one judge oscillations in something without precedent in public life?
—Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2024
The duo each took one of the genes to investigate further, initially focusing on looking for aberrant proteins coded by the mutant genes.
—Alice Park, TIME, 7 Oct. 2024
Motivated by the desire to receive a 5-star rating, the machine engages in aberrant behavior that becomes downright scary.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 9 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for aberrant
Dictionary Entries Near aberrant
Cite this Entry
“Aberrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aberrant. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
aberrant
adjective
ab·er·rant
a-ˈber-ənt
ə-; ˈab-ə-rənt
ə-; ˈab-ə-rənt
-ˌe(ə)r-ənt
1
: straying from the right or normal way
aberrant behavior
2
: deviating from the usual or natural type : atypical sense 1
aberrant salivary tissue
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