Meaning & use

abnormal

adjective·Academic

Different from what is usual or expected, often in a way that causes concern.

See it in a sentence

The doctor noticed an abnormal heart rhythm during the routine checkup.

It felt abnormal for the office to be so quiet on a weekday morning.

A note on using this word

In medical and scientific contexts abnormal is neutral, though in everyday speech it can sound judgmental, so "unusual" is gentler.

Words with a similar meaning

unusualirregularatypical

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

normaltypical

Make it your own

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