atypical

adjective

atyp·i·cal | \ (ˌ)ā-ˈti-pi-kəl

Definition of atypical

1 : not typical : irregular, unusual an atypical form of a disease atypical weather for this area

2 medical : relating to or being an antipsychotic drug (such as risperidone) that tends to produce fewer adverse side effects on movement (such as 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

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Other Words from atypical

atypicality \ ˌā-ˌti-pə-ˈka-lə-tē

\ noun, plural atypicalities

atypically \ (ˌ)ā-ˈti-pi-k(ə-)lē

\ adverb

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 on the Web

Her trailer park is atypical — it's filled with celebrities, most of them an integral part of LGBTQ visibility. — Caitlin O'kane, CBS News, "Taylor Swift releases star-studded video for "You Need To Calm Down," challenging anti-LGBTQ beliefs," 17 June 2019 If the properties of this universe still seem atypical even in the habitable subset, then the multiverse explanation fails. — Quanta Magazine, "In a Multiverse, What Are the Odds?," 3 Nov. 2014 Southeast of Williams, a string of fishing holes hiding on the north rim of Sycamore Canyon Wilderness attracts anglers, wildlife watchers, birders, runners and day hikers in search of atypical forest treks. — Mare Czinar, azcentral, "Fun summer hikes in Arizona: These hidden little lakes attract wildlife, hikers and anglers," 5 July 2019 Todd Blanche, a lawyer for Manafort, acknowledged that the involvement of the deputy attorney general and the decision not to hold his client at Rikers was atypical. — Katie Benner, BostonGlobe.com, "Justice Department steps in, stops Paul Manafort from going to Rikers," 18 June 2019 The scene was atypical, according to the police department. — Fox News, "Baby deer seen crying next to mother killed in New Hampshire crash," 5 June 2019 Antipsychotics can be broken into two groups: typical (first-generation) and atypical (second-generation). — Korin Miller, SELF, "What to Know About Getting Pregnant If You Take Antipsychotics," 17 Jan. 2019 Were the bonuses that Mrs Clinton and Mr Trump received atypical, or part of a pattern? — The Economist, "Presidential debates seldom move opinion polls," 22 June 2019 Yet the question is not merely whether a Comey, McCabe, or Mueller is atypical of the FBI. — Victor Davis Hanson, National Review, "The FBI Tragedy: Elites above the Law," 11 June 2019

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.

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28 Jul 2019

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The first known use of atypical was in 1845

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More Definitions for atypical

atypical

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of atypical

: not typical : not usual or normal

See the full definition for atypical in the English Language Learners Dictionary

atypical

adjective

atyp·i·cal | \ ˈā-ˈti-pi-kəl

Kids Definition of atypical

: not usual or normal: not typical an atypical case

atypical

adjective

atyp·i·cal | \ (ˈ)ā-ˈtip-i-kəl

Medical Definition of atypical

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

Other Words from atypical

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 (Entry 2 of 2)

: an atypical antipsychotic drug ((see atypical entry 1 sense 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