aberrant

1 of 2

adjective

ab·​er·​rant a-ˈber-ənt 

ə-, 

-ˈbe-rənt;

ˈa-bə-rənt 

-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 

ə-, 

-ˈbe-rən(t)s;

  ˈa-bə-rən(t)s 

-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.

Synonyms of aberrant

Adjective

• unusual
• extraordinary
• abnormal
• exceptional
• unique
• rare
• uncommon
• odd
• outstanding

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

Learning that these behaviors not only exist, but are prevalent in the animal kingdom, Page says, helps debunk what remains a widespread belief among certain humans that homosexuality and transgenderism are unnatural and aberrant. — Mike Miller, Entertainment Weekly, 19 June 2026

That Millett could not accept the continuation of normal life in the face of the aberrant murder of a stranger is evidence of her formidable sense of justice. — Rachel Cusk, New Yorker, 13 June 2026

Making the aberrant choice stand out all the more was that Season 2 didn’t get to finish on its own terms. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 May 2026

The question may seem aberrant, something a dimwit or sadistic mother might ask her charge during toilet training, but Americans do regard living writers as both needlessly and necessarily strange. — Literary Hub, 22 Apr. 2026

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

Rhymes for aberrant

• apparent
• declarant
• grandparent
• stepparent
• transparent
• errant
• parent
• semitransparent

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  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