aberrant 1 of 2

adjective

a-ˈber-ənt How to pronounce aberrant (audio)
Definition of aberrantnext
1
as in unusual
being out of the ordinary a year of aberrant weather—record rainfall in the summer, record heat in the autumn

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in abnormal
departing from some accepted standard of what is normal aberrant behavior can be a sign of rabies in a wild animal

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

aberrant

2 of 2

noun

as in deviant

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of aberrant
Adjective
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
Noun
An adventure without a modicum of agenda, absent any aspirations, aberrant or apposite. — Padgett Powell, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for aberrant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aberrant
  1. unusual
  2. abnormal
  3. deviant
  4. extraordinary
  5. unnatural
  6. eccentric
  7. exceptional
  8. unique
Adjective
  • The team now points to interactions between manganese and ytterbium as a possible source of the unusual Hall response.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The unusual diplomatic rebuke underscored the mistrust between the two countries.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of unusual
Adjective
  • The membership, which is invite-only, can include procedures like plasma exchange, which involves having your blood removed and separated from harmful substances like abnormal proteins before it is returned to the body.
    — Renée Onque, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Cocaine therefore appears to hijack a normal action-selection system rather than recruit a circuit dedicated to abnormal behavior.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of abnormal
Noun
  • This boosts the rank, and by experimenting with this mechanic, players can uncover mutations and deviants, the rarest and most powerful variants.
    — Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Tolerating deviant behavior is the same as saying that behavior is acceptable.
    — Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 25 Feb. 2026
Definition of deviant
Adjective
  • This keeps the performance informal and keeps the narrative — a staggering odyssey of injustices, abuses, travel adventures, extraordinary coincidences, losses, reunions, reflections and self-analysis — from becoming sensationalized.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Guadagnino speaks in calligraphy; adjectives almost certainly accompany a proper name — the extraordinary, the wonderful, the genius.
    — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of extraordinary
Adjective
  • Generated by an internal large language model (LLM), OpenAI’s proof relies on an approach that many experts find unnatural.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Some deepfakes still have telltale flaws such as unnatural facial movements, lip-sync glitches, robotic speech or awkward pauses — but the technology is rapidly improving, a spokesperson for the organization said.
    — Emily Elconin for CNN, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of unnatural
Noun
  • The public reckonings with these figures’ legacies—the troubled former child star gone too soon, the beloved icon, the cult favorite, the complicated eccentric—have come in a cascade.
    — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Make sure to practice a full range of motion with these and emphasize the eccentric (the way down) part of the movement for maximal time under tension and muscle-building stimulus.
    — Jakob Roze, HEALTH, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of eccentric
Adjective
  • Her career demonstrates extraordinary range, an exceptional level of acting and at the same time, a very special connection with audiences.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Nonetheless, the association of Nike with exceptional athletes remains a litmus test for relevance, consumer sentiment, and brand equity — all metrics Hill should be working toward as part of his ongoing brand turnaround.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of exceptional
Adjective
  • Beat shows how so many of the sounds that were prevalent in the mid-’90s contained a unique, end-of-the century sadness.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Instead, the self-regulating organization takes the day-to-day lead in devising standards, conducting oversight, enforcing rules, and punishing bad actors, drawing on its business members’ unique knowledge and real-world expertise.
    — William R. Gruver, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of unique

Browse Nearby Words

abecedarians
aberrant
aberrants
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Cite this Entry

“Aberrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aberrant. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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