Meaning & use
an anomaly
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Meanings
phrasesingular
Something that is different from what is usual or expected, especially in a way that is surprising or hard to explain.
Grammar: Used with the article 'an' because 'anomaly' is a countable noun starting with a vowel sound; the plural is 'anomalies'.
Patterns
- an anomaly in something
- an anomaly among something
- something is an anomaly
The warm winter was an anomaly in a region known for heavy snow.
Her low score on the test was an anomaly; she usually does very well.
Scientists treated the reading as an anomaly and repeated the experiment.
phrasesingulartechnical
A thing or person that does not fit the normal pattern of a group or system.
Grammar: Often followed by 'among' or 'in' to name the group it does not match: an anomaly among the other samples.
Patterns
- an anomaly among something
- an anomaly in a set of something
This star is an anomaly among the others in its class.
The committee saw him as an anomaly in a field dominated by older researchers.
Common combinations
- a statistical anomaly
- The jump in sales turned out to be a statistical anomaly.
- a genetic anomaly
- Doctors found a genetic anomaly that explained her condition.
- explain an anomaly
- The team could not explain the anomaly in the data.
- a rare anomaly
- Such storms are a rare anomaly in this dry climate.
- treat something as an anomaly
- At first they treated the result as an anomaly.
Synonyms and how they differ
- irregularity
- 'Irregularity' stresses that something breaks a rule or pattern, while 'an anomaly' often suggests something simply unexpected and puzzling.
- oddity
- 'Oddity' is more informal and points to something strange; 'an anomaly' sounds more neutral and scientific.
- exception
- 'Exception' means something not covered by a general rule, whereas 'an anomaly' is a deviation noticed in data or behavior.
Opposites
Word family
- anomalous adjective
- different from what is normal or expected
- anomalously adverb
- in a way that is unusual or unexpected
Commonly confused: an anomaly or anonymity?
an anomaly vs anonymity
'Anonymity' means being unnamed or unknown; 'an anomaly' is something unusual. They sound somewhat alike but are unrelated.
Practice
The unusually high rainfall this year was ___ in a desert region.
Choose one answer.
'An anomaly' means something that does not fit the usual pattern, which matches the surprising rainfall. 'An analogy' is a comparison, 'animosity' is strong dislike, and 'anonymity' is being unknown, so none of them fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “an anomaly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.