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.
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
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
See All Example Sentences for aberrant
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Adjective
Here are three recent examples: AI fails to explain an aberrant automobile production number
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—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
See All Example Sentences for aberrant
Cite this Entry
“Aberrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aberrant. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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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