abnormal

[ab-nawr-muh l] /æbˈnɔr məl/

adjective

not normal, average, typical, or usual; deviating from a standard:

abnormal powers of concentration; an abnormal amount of snow; abnormal behavior.

extremely or excessively large:

abnormal profit.

Origin

1850-55; ab- + normal; replacing anormal < Medieval Latin anōrmālus, variant of anōmālus anomalous influenced by Latin norma norm

Related forms

abnormally, adverb

abnormalness, noun

superabnormal, adjective

superabnormally, adverb

Can be confused

abnormal, subnormal.

Synonyms

1. anomalous, aberrant, irregular, deviant, unnatural, odd. See irregular.

Examples from the web for abnormal

abnormal gait may be caused by diseases in many different areas of the body.
With the latest grants, researchers will sequence abnormal genes that may help cause cancer and other common diseases.
There's nothing abnormal about the recession's causes.
Then researchers spot something abnormal in your head.
If seeds germinated,the kids were to report any normal or abnormal growth due to mutations from radiation and/or lack of gravity.
Lastly, they can check to see if the individuals involved share an abnormal variant of that gene.
But there is an abnormal weak spot in the planet's magnetic field at that point.
Some blood stem cells can develop into abnormal versions, although the immune system usually stamps them out.
Dystonias are abnormal involuntary muscle tone and movements in groups of muscles.
Urine of an abnormal color appears different from the usual straw-yellow color.

British Dictionary definitions for abnormal

abnormal

/æbˈnɔːməl/

adjective

not normal; deviating from the usual or typical; extraordinary

(informal) odd in behaviour or appearance; strange

Derived Forms

abnormally, adverb

Word Origin

C19: ab-1 + normal, replacing earlier anormal from Medieval Latin anormalus, a blend of Late Latin anōmalusanomalous + Latin abnormis departing from a rule

Word Origin and History for abnormal

adj.

1835, displaced older abnormous (1742) and rival anormal (1835) under influence of Latin abnormis "deviating from a rule," from ab- "off, away from" (see ab-) + norma "rule" (see norm). The older forms were via Old French anormal (13c.), from Medieval Latin anormalos, from Greek anomalos, from an- "not" + homalos, from homos "same." The Greek word was altered in Latin by association with norma. Related: Abnormally.