atypical

adjective

(ˌ)ā-ˈti-pi-kəl How to pronounce atypical (audio)
Definition of atypicalnext
1
as in unusual
being out of the ordinary the postal service delivered the package with atypical speed

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in abnormal
departing from some accepted standard of what is normal since that's an atypical response for an infant, you might want to have her hearing tested

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 atypical As Southern California prepares for yet another heat wave with atypical humidity, thunderstorms broke out across the Southland on Tuesday morning, prompting warnings from local officials. — Austin Turner, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026 The prosecution’s experts disagreed, saying Clancy’s description of the voice was atypical of auditory hallucinations. — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026 With the team entering a new era with a new coaching staff, Baltimore made some moves that were a bit atypical on roster cutdown day. — Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026 O’Flynn was still a student at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and had no idea how atypical this approach was for film acting. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for atypical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atypical
  1. unusual
  2. abnormal
  3. extraordinary
  4. unnatural
  5. exceptional
  6. unique
  7. rare
  8. uncommon
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
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
Adjective
  • The machines typically used to compress fuel must deliver enormous bursts of energy with exceptional precision.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The formula’s lead ingredient, soybean ferment extract, is an exceptional resurfacing agent—improving skin’s texture, tone, and radiance without any harsh side effects.
    — Kiana Murden, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of exceptional
Adjective
  • This unique propagation gives rise to wave trajectories with directional rotation, or handedness, which dictates whether paths rotate clockwise or counterclockwise.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Season two goes a little differently than season one, because the music exec in charge of casting the show (Ashley Padilla) is being lightly blackmailed by two … unique candidates (Jane Wickline and new cast member Grace Reiter).
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of unique
Adjective
  • Sarah Patton, a Compass agent familiar with the buildings, says that a few years ago, when hundreds of units were being marketed downtown, some buildings were making deals, but that’s rare.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Since then researchers have discovered that the Epstein-Barr virus, which is known to cause cancers such as nasal pharyngeal cancers and some forms of lymphoma, is also linked to some stomach cancers and some rarer lymphomas, Clifford says.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of rare
Adjective
  • This way of thinking is not uncommon, and it’s not limited to film criticism.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Police noted that mountain lions are not uncommon near the Stanislaus River and other rural pockets around Oakdale but urged residents to stay alert – especially overnight and around dawn and dusk.
    — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of uncommon

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atypical
atypically
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Cite this Entry

“Atypical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atypical. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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