anomaly

noun

A deviation from a rule or from what is regarded as normal; an outlier.

Something or someone that is strange or unusual.

(sciences) Any event or measurement that is out of the ordinary regardless of whether it is exceptional or not.

(biology) A defect or malformation.

(astronomy) Any of various angular distances.

(quantum mechanics) A failure of a classical symmetry due to quantum corrections.

(dated) An irregularity or disproportion.

Roots

anan- · Greek · not, without homalos-omal · Greek · even

Synonyms for anomaly

anomalousnessn anomalismn abnormalityn abnormityn aberrancen aberrationn aberrancyn subnormalityn irregularityn oddityn deviationn deviancyadj freakishnessn quirkn divergencen teratismn peculiarityn

Synonyms & related words for anomaly

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of anomaly — including anomalousness, anomalism, abnormality, abnormity, aberrance, aberration. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to anomaly

Explore words related to anomaly — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include anomalous, anomalistic, anomalously, abnormal, aberrant, aberrational, outlier, aberrantly. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for anomaly

Common synonyms for anomaly include anomalousness, anomalism, abnormality, abnormity, aberrance, aberration, aberrancy, subnormality — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does anomaly come from?

The word anomaly breaks down into 2 roots of Greek origin: an-, from Greek an (“not, without”); and -omal, from Greek homalos (“even”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.