adj · noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˌæbˈnɔː.məl/
General-American:/ˌæbˈnɔɹ.ml̩/
General-American:/əbˈnɔɹ.ml̩/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)məl
CMU ARPABET:AE0 B N AO1 R M AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Not conforming to rule or system; deviating from the usual or normal type.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Of or pertaining to that which is irregular, in particular, behaviour that deviates from norms of social propriety or accepted standards of mental health.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A person or object that is not normal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective
Meaning 4
not normal; not typical or usual or regular or conforming to a norm
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
abnormal powers of concentration
abnormal amounts of rain
abnormal circumstances
an abnormal interest in food
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: unnatural
Antonyms: normal
5
adjective
Meaning 5
departing from the normal in e.g. intelligence and development
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
they were heartbroken when they learned their child was abnormal
an abnormal personality
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: normal
6
adjective satellite
Meaning 6
much greater than the normal
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
abnormal profits
abnormal ambition
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
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).
Across languages
Translations
107 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
abnormaal
— not conforming to rule or system
Afrikaans:
gestrem
— not conforming to rule or system
Arabic:
غَيْر طَبِيعِيّ
(ḡayr ṭabīʕiyy)
— not conforming to rule or system
Arabic:
مش طبيعي
(meš ṭabiʕi)
— not conforming to rule or system
Asturian:
anormal
— not conforming to rule or system
Bulgarian:
неправилен
(nepravilen)
— not conforming to rule or system
Bulgarian:
необичаен
(neobičaen)
— not conforming to rule or system
Bulgarian:
ненормален
(nenormalen)
— not conforming to rule or system
Bulgarian:
противоестествен
(protivoestestven)
— not conforming to rule or system
Carpathian Rusyn:
ненормалный
(nenormalnŷj)
— not conforming to rule or system
Catalan:
anormal
— not conforming to rule or system
Chinese Mandarin:
異常 /异常
(yìcháng)
— not conforming to rule or system
Czech:
abnormální
— not conforming to rule or system
Danish:
unormal
— not conforming to rule or system
Danish:
abnorm
— not conforming to rule or system
Dutch:
abnormaal
— not conforming to rule or system
Esperanto:
anomalia
— not conforming to rule or system
Esperanto:
nenormala
— not conforming to rule or system
Estonian:
ebanormaalne
— not conforming to rule or system
Finnish:
epänormaali
— not conforming to rule or system
Finnish:
poikkeava
— not conforming to rule or system
French:
inhabituel
— not conforming to rule or system
French:
hors norme
— not conforming to rule or system
French:
exceptionnel
— not conforming to rule or system
French:
anormal
— not conforming to rule or system
Galician:
anormal
— not conforming to rule or system
German:
unnormal
— not conforming to rule or system
German:
ungewöhnlich
— not conforming to rule or system
German:
abnorm
— not conforming to rule or system
German:
abnormal
— not conforming to rule or system
Indonesian:
abnormal
— not conforming to rule or system
Irish:
mínormálta
— not conforming to rule or system
Irish:
neamhghnách
— not conforming to rule or system
Italian:
anormale
— not conforming to rule or system
Italian:
anomalo
— not conforming to rule or system
Italian:
abnorme
— not conforming to rule or system
Japanese:
不自然
(fushizen)
— not conforming to rule or system
Japanese:
異常
(ijō)
— not conforming to rule or system
Kazakh:
қалыптан тыс
(qalyptan tys)
— not conforming to rule or system
Kazakh:
қалыпсыз
(qalypsyz)
— not conforming to rule or system
Kazakh:
қалыпты емес
(qalypty emes)
— not conforming to rule or system
Latin:
abnormis
— not conforming to rule or system
Malay:
abnormal
— not conforming to rule or system
Middle English:
unkynde
— not conforming to rule or system
Norwegian Bokmål:
abnormal
— not conforming to rule or system
Norwegian Bokmål:
anormal
— not conforming to rule or system
Norwegian Bokmål:
unormal
— not conforming to rule or system
Norwegian Bokmål:
uvanlig
— not conforming to rule or system
Norwegian Bokmål:
usedvanlig
— not conforming to rule or system
Norwegian Bokmål:
ualminnelig
— not conforming to rule or system
Norwegian Bokmål:
overordentlig
— not conforming to rule or system
Persian:
غیر عادی
(ġeyre 'âddi)
— not conforming to rule or system
Persian:
ناهنجار
(nâhanjâr)
— not conforming to rule or system
Polish:
anormalny
— not conforming to rule or system
Polish:
nienormalny
— not conforming to rule or system
Portuguese:
anormal
— not conforming to rule or system
Romanian:
anormal
— not conforming to rule or system
Romanian:
nenormal
— not conforming to rule or system
Russian:
ненорма́льный
(nenormálʹnyj)
— not conforming to rule or system
Serbo-Croatian:
nepravilan
— not conforming to rule or system
Serbo-Croatian:
а̏бнорма̄лан
— not conforming to rule or system
Serbo-Croatian:
ȁbnormālan
— not conforming to rule or system
Spanish:
anormal
— not conforming to rule or system
Swedish:
onormal
— not conforming to rule or system
Asturian:
anormal
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Bulgarian:
ненормален
(nenormalen)
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Catalan:
anormal
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Czech:
abnormální
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Danish:
unormal
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Danish:
anormal
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Danish:
abnorm
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Dutch:
abnormaal
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Dutch:
afwijkend
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Estonian:
ebanormaalne
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Finnish:
epänormaali
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Finnish:
poikkeava
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
French:
anormal
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
French:
anormale
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Galician:
anormal
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
German:
anormal
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
German:
abnormal
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Hungarian:
rendellenes
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Indonesian:
abnormal
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Irish:
mínormálta
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Italian:
anormale
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Italian:
anomalo
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Japanese:
異常
(ijō)
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Khiamniungan Naga:
ūkhīeh
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Norwegian Bokmål:
abnormal
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Norwegian Bokmål:
anormal
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Norwegian Bokmål:
unormal
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Norwegian Bokmål:
uvanlig
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Norwegian Bokmål:
usedvanlig
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Norwegian Bokmål:
ualminnelig
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Norwegian Bokmål:
overordentlig
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Persian:
آنرمال
(ânormâl)
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Polish:
anormalny
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Polish:
nienormalny
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Portuguese:
anormal
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Romanian:
anormal
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Romanian:
nenormal
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Serbo-Croatian:
nenormalan
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Serbo-Croatian:
а̏бнорма̄лан
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Serbo-Croatian:
ȁbnormālan
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Spanish:
anormal
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Swedish:
abnorm
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms
Volapük:
nenomik
— of or pertaining to behaviour that deviates from norms