abnormal

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌæbˈnɔɹ.ml̩/ UK /ˌæbˈnɔː.məl/ See IPA manual

Freq #10214

Meanings

1

adj
different from what is normal or expected, often in a worrying way

The test showed an abnormal level of sugar in his blood.
2

adj
much greater than usual

The company made abnormal profits last year.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · different from what is... unnatural atypical irregular unusual

2 adj · much greater than usual exceptional extraordinary

Word family

Derived forms abendabnormalcyabnormaliseabnormalismabnormalistabnormalityabnormalizationabnormalizeabnormallyabnormalnessabnormieabnormity

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

abnormal psychology
the study of unusual patterns of thought and behavior, including mental disorders

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From ab- + normal. First attested in 1835, replacing the earlier anormal and even earlier abnormous, from Latin abnormis (“departing from normal”), from either ab- (“away from”) + norma (“rule, norm”), or Ancient Greek ἀνώμαλος (anṓmalos).

abnormis Latin ἀνώμαλος Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# abnormal

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˌæbˈnɔɹ.ml̩/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌæbˈnɔː.məl/
**Frequency rank:** 10214

## Meanings
1. different from what is normal or expected, often in a worrying way
2. much greater than usual

## Examples
- The test showed an abnormal level of sugar in his blood.
- The company made abnormal profits last year.

## Derived Forms
- abend
- abnormalcy
- abnormalise
- abnormalism
- abnormalist
- abnormality
- abnormalization
- abnormalize
- abnormally
- abnormalness
- abnormie
- abnormity

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: abnormis
- Root: ἀνώμαλος
- Affix: ab- - away from

## Etymology
From ab- + normal. First attested in 1835, replacing the earlier anormal and even earlier abnormous, from Latin abnormis (“departing from normal”), from either ab- (“away from”) + norma (“rule, norm”), or Ancient Greek ἀνώμαλος (anṓmalos).

## AI Etymology
Abnormal comes from ab- plus normal. First attested in 1835, replacing the earlier anormal and even earlier abnormous, from Latin abnormis (“departing from normal”), from either ab- (“away from”) plus norma (“rule, norm”), or Ancient Greek ἀνώμαλος (anṓmalos). The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern adjectival form is built from the named base and affix.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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