aberration

noun

ˌa-bə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce aberration (audio)
Definition of aberrationnext
1
as in dementia
a serious mental disorder that prevents one from living a safe and normal life Joan of Arc was certain the voices she had been hearing were not a manifestation of some sort of aberration

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in anomaly
something that is different from what is ordinary or expected there are some slight aberrations in the type due to the nature of old printing presses

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 aberration Paul, who averaged 21 goals and 40 points — and 79 games — in his first three full seasons with the Lightning, is determined to show that this past season’s seven-goal, 15-point, 51-game showing was an aberration. — Eduardo A. Encina, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2026 Candidates and consultants who treat last week as an aberration, rather than a preview, will be caught flat-footed again. — Bradley Honan, New York Daily News, 28 June 2026 The result was a rare aberration in the South American team’s otherwise excellent tournament run. — Tushaar Kuthiala, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 June 2026 Allies no longer believe Trumpism was an aberration and are unlikely just to pick up where Biden left off. — Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for aberration
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aberration
  1. dementia
  2. anomaly
  3. insanity
  4. exception
  5. hysteria
  6. abnormality
  7. schizophrenia
  8. rarity
Noun
  • In some diseases such as frontal lobe dementia, which damages executive function instead of memory, tangles can accumulate without the presence of amyloid.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • Be aware that most group homes have a significant population of seniors with dementia.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 14 July 2026
Definition of dementia
Noun
  • Whether that’s a single-stock anomaly or a signal that the market has quietly repriced its tolerance for earnings disappointment across the sector is the question the rest of earnings season will start to answer.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 July 2026
  • Yet its success feels less like an anomaly than a symptom of the present, in which perpetual crisis has robbed the future of coherence.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of anomaly
Noun
  • McCall tried to create a contrast between the locations, with the Cady clan’s surroundings having an overgrown quality reflecting the uncontrollable insanity at the heart of the family.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 10 July 2026
  • Dominguez entered pleas of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to the charges.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of insanity
Noun
  • Disney’s live-action remakes have largely been box-office boons for the company, with a few exceptions.
    — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • The suit alleges The Bay Club does not fall under that exception because parents are not necessarily always on the premises.
    — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 9 July 2026
Definition of exception
Noun
  • The hysteria often comes with a fat dollop of Trumpian imperiousness, not requesting your engagement so much as demanding it.
    — Michelle Cottle, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
  • The score by French experimental duo Double Danger (also the composers on Infested) amplifies the action, building from ominous electronica to Black Mass-level hysteria with satanic choral elements.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026
Definition of hysteria
Noun
  • Falat said that patients suffering from heat stroke have a core body temperature of 40 degrees Celsius — more than 104 degrees Fahrenheit — or higher, and are showing signs neurological abnormalities like confusion or unresponsiveness.
    — Danielle J. Brown, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2026
  • Both teams found that the precision of the technique reduced the likelihood of unintended chromosomal abnormalities.
    — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
Definition of abnormality
Noun
  • Mary appears to have a form of treatment-resistant schizophrenia, until chemotherapy, following a diagnosis of lymphoma, banishes her psychiatric symptoms.
    — Julia M. Klein, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • Authorities confirmed that the couple was killed with a knife, and Nick, 32, who was reportedly being treated for schizophrenia before the deaths of his parents, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
    — Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026
Definition of schizophrenia
Noun
  • So, not a whole lot of epic gunfights for this Western, a rarity in the genre, but there’s a reason the property has stood the test of time.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • Unlike Russell, whose legacy has been beautifully maintained in books, films, and re-releases, Hall’s solo work has only been available as a series of rarities and independent releases.
    — Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 9 July 2026
Definition of rarity

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Cite this Entry

“Aberration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aberration. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on aberration

Nglish: Translation of aberration for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about aberration

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