abnormal Hear it!

abnormal definition

ab·nor·mal (ab nôr′məl, əb-)

adjective

not normal; not average; not typical; not usual; irregular, esp. to a considerable degree

Etymology: earlier anormal < Fr anormal, anomal < LL anomalus < Gr anōmalos (see anomalous) infl. by L abnormis < ab-, from + norma, norm

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

abnormal Synonyms

abnormal

modif.

strange, irregular, unnatural; see irregular 2, unusual 2. See syn. study atirregular.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

abnormal Usage Examples

Preposition: in

  • type: There is a gene called the p53 gene, which is abnormal in many different types of cancer, including kidney cancer.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

  • show: Our son has since had an EEG which showed nothing abnormal.

Modifies a noun

  • smear: However, anyone over 64 who has ever had abnormal smears will be invited for screening in the normal way.

Modifying Another Word

  • grossly: The result of an INR test then was grossly abnormal, Mrs Y had peritonitis and was bleeding from her bowel.

Used with adjective complement

  • appear: This test is useful in determining whether lymphocytes that appear abnormal are present, and whether internal organs are affected by Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
abnormal usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

abnormal quotes

On the principle laid down by Gilbert and Sullivan that when everybody is somebody, nobody is anybody; if everybody is abnormal, we don't need to worry about anybody.

-Hutchins, Robert M

C'est une chose anormale de vivre. Living is abnormal.

-Ionesco, Euge' n e

Il n'y avait pas d'anormaux quand l'homosexualite¤   e¤  tait la norme. There was nothing abnormal about it when homosexuality was the norm.

-Proust, Marcel

abnormal quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"abnormal." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/abnormal>

APA Style

abnormal. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/abnormal

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