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

Adjective

• aberrated
• abnormal
• anomalous
• atypical
• especial
• exceeding
• exceptional
• extraordinaire
• extraordinary
• freak
• odd
• peculiar
• phenomenal
• preternatural
• rare
• singular
• uncommon
• uncustomary
• unique
• unusual
• unwonted

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

Here are three recent examples: AI fails to explain an aberrant automobile production number Forbes Daily: Join over 1 million Forbes Daily subscribers and get our best stories, exclusive reporting and essential analysis of the day’s news in your inbox every weekday. —John S. Tobey, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025

Back in 2022, researchers at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany showed that administering CAR T-cell therapy to five people with severe lupus could completely remove the aberrant B cells, sending all of the patients into remission. —Juergen Eckhardt, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025

Things that people think are morally abnormal – aberrant behavior, transgressions, violations of their most sacred values – are viewed as highly threatening and necessary to shut down, with force if necessary. —Jen Cole Wright, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025

The overwhelmed administration levied minimal consequences, leading to the student having the impression that their aberrant behavior would result in no significant punitive action. —Martin Potters, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2025

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