aberrant

1 of 2

adjective

ab·​er·​rant a-ˈber-ənt How to pronounce aberrant (audio)
ə-,
-ˈbe-rənt;
ˈa-bə-rənt How to pronounce aberrant (audio)
-ˌber-ənt,
-ˌbe-rənt
1
: deviating from the usual or natural type : atypical, abnormal
aberrant behavior
I don't intend to suggest that his psychology was in some way aberrant or neurotic …Michael Chabon
2
: straying from the right or normal way
aberrant misfits
aberrance
a-ˈber-ən(t)s How to pronounce aberrant (audio)
ə-
-ˈbe-rən(t)s;
ˈa-bə-rən(t)s How to pronounce aberrant (audio)
-ˌber-ən(t)s
-ˌbe-rən(t)s
noun
aberrantly adverb

aberrant

2 of 2

noun

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

Did you know?

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.

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
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Trump would also face a Congress less inclined to impose such constraints, having established ideological mastery of the Republican Party, whose old-line elites can no longer claim that his agenda is aberrant and must be resisted. Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 19 Feb. 2024 Fear of God briefs Custom Stamp: Chances are, if you were born before 1980, your penmanship is aberrant. Kristen Bateman, Vogue, 18 Dec. 2023 Maternity doesn’t generally suit these aberrant creatures. Leslie Camhi, The New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2023 Yet at the turn of the 20th century, Reconstruction was widely presented as a wicked, aberrant episode in U.S. history. Tracy Schorn, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Dec. 2023 During these abrupt alterations in brain activity, switching errors can occur when something goes awry among the brain’s network of 100 billion neurons, and an aberrant electrical signal is set off. Steve Nadis, Discover Magazine, 26 Nov. 2023 This makes Snoop an agent of enculturation — the process by which youths learn and internalize the warped values of an aberrant social space. Armond White, National Review, 15 Nov. 2023 Origins of a cake obsession The greatness of these layered, ever-changing creations is uncanny, almost aberrant. Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2023 Because the Devil remains the most potent symbol of radical evil, so too do those legions that serve him remain convenient ciphers for discussing behavior and phenomenon too aberrant, too otherworldly, to be entirely reduced to arid and cold rationality. TIME, 28 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aberrant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from Latin aberrant-, aberrans, present participle of aberrāre "to wander away, stray, go wrong," from ab- ab- + errāre "to wander, drift, be in error" — more at err

Noun

noun derivative of aberrant entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1536, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of aberrant was circa 1536

Dictionary Entries Near aberrant

Cite this Entry

“Aberrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aberrant. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

aberrant

adjective
ab·​er·​rant
ə-ˈber-ənt,
ˈab-ə-rənt
: being different from the usual or natural type

Medical Definition

aberrant

adjective
ab·​er·​rant a-ˈber-ənt How to pronounce aberrant (audio) ə-; ˈab-ə-rənt How to pronounce aberrant (audio)
-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

More from Merriam-Webster on aberrant

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