atypical

play

adjective atyp·i·cal \ (ˌ)ā-ˈti-pi-kəl \

Definition of atypical

:not typical :irregular, unusual

an atypical form of a disease

atypical weather for this area

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atypicality

play \ˌā-ˌti-pə-ˈka-lə-tē\ noun

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atypically

play \(ˌ)ā-ˈti-pi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

See atypical defined for English-language learners

See atypical defined for kids

Examples of atypical in a Sentence

the postal service delivered the package with atypical speed
since that's an atypical response for an infant, you might want to have her hearing tested

Recent Examples of atypical from the Web

Reaching out for help on social media was atypical response.

— meredith colias, Post-Tribune, "Northwest Indiana rescue shelters to send volunteers, supplies for pets affected by Harvey," 30 Aug. 2017
Atypical behaviors of others animals have made their way into scientific papers: ▪ Forty-five horses, five captive does, three dogs, swallows and pigeons.

— eric adler, kansascity, "Birds, chimps, your dog: Total solar eclipses prompt some unusual behaviors," 17 Aug. 2017
The PAC was founded in 2003 to raise money for John Kerry’s presidential campaign and has been known for atypical fundraisers, like ceviche and moonshine nights.

— sarah spellings, The Cut, "Rachel Comey Is Hosting Vintage Pop-ups for a Democratic Cause," 11 Aug. 2017
That's not a dig at the authenticity of those friendships, but the circumstances under which they were formed is undeniably atypical, and yet that's completely glossed over.

— lauren hoffman, Cosmopolitan, "Life of Kylie Tries and Fails to Make Kylie Jenner Seem Relatable," 4 Aug. 2017
Brands such as Victoria’s Secret will probably continue to showcase atypical-looking supermodels for years to come, but other companies may choose to follow Aerie and Dove with the hope of increasing their sales and bolstering their reputations.

— amelia irvine, National Review, "Women Don’t Need Protection from Gender Stereotypes in Advertising," 25 July 2017
There are two atypical strains of BSE, called H-type and L-type.

— dennis pillion, AL.com, "What is 'atypical' mad cow? Alabama's bovine spongiform encephalopathy case explained," 19 July 2017
A pair of atypical, expressionist works in the exhibit seem to spring from this part of his psyche.

— victoria dalkey, sacbee, "View 60 years of Latvian-born Bay Area painter’s works," 13 July 2017
This is atypical for photography, where prices are lower and volumes are higher than in other contemporary art.

— The Economist, "Picture perfectThe photography market is about not just names," 13 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'atypical.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of atypical

see typical

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1845

See Words from the same year

atypical Synonyms

Near Antonyms

everyday, familiar, frequent

ATYPICAL Defined for English Language Learners

atypical

play

adjective

Definition of atypical for English Language Learners

: not typical : not usual or normal

ATYPICAL Defined for Kids

atypical

play

adjective atyp·i·cal \ ˈā-ˈti-pi-kəl \

Definition of atypical for Students

:not usual or normal:not typical

an atypical case

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atypically

adverb

Medical Dictionary

atypical

adjective atyp·i·cal \ (ˈ)ā-ˈtip-i-kəl \

medical Definition of atypical

1 :not typical :not like the usual or normal type

The procedure, ductal lavage, washes cells from the milk ducts, where 95 percent of breast cancers start. Tests can then be performed to look for atypical or abnormal cells.
—Judith Groch, The New York Times, 20 Nov. 2001

The results of treatment of patients with gallstones are less successful in individuals with atypical pain patterns or painless dyspepsia …
—The Journal of the American Medical Association, 24 Feb. 1993

In some patients with atypical dysgenesis, the smear may show slight proliferation.
—George L Wied et al., Compendium on Diagnostic Cytology, 1976

2 :relating to or being an antipsychotic drug (such as aripiprazole and risperidone) that tends to produce fewer adverse side effects on movement (such as akathisia or dyskinesia) than previously used antipsychotic drugs (such as haloperidol)

Atypical antipsychotics work more precisely, manipulating both dopamine and serotonin and suppressing symptoms without causing so many associated problems.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 19 Aug. 2002

Although studies indicated that the atypical drugs are similar to the conventional drugs in reducing psychotic symptoms and produce few neurologic effects, the evidence of their superior efficacy has been neither consistent nor robust …
—Jeffrey A. Lieberman et al., The New England Journal of Medicine, 22 Sept. 2005

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atypically

\(ˈ)ā-ˈtip-i-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

- Atypically depressed patients often show a different clinical picture from those with “classical” major depression.
- —Ronald Pies, The New York Times, 31 July 2007

atypical

noun

medical Definition of atypical

:an atypical antipsychotic drug ((see ¹atypical 2))

Her 24-year-old daughter, diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1993, had problems with two types of atypicals before a third proved successful.
—Stephaan Harris, USA Today, 28 June 1999