An aberration is an incident or way of behaving that is not typical.
[formal]
It became very clear that the incident was not just an aberration.
Synonyms: anomaly, exception, defect, abnormality More Synonyms of aberration
2. variable noun
If someone considers a person or their behaviour to be an aberration, they think that they are strange and not socially acceptable.
[formal, disapproval]
Single people are treated as an aberration and made to pay a supplement.
Synonyms: oddity, abnormality, rarity, eccentricity More Synonyms of aberration
More Synonyms of aberration
aberration in British English
(ˌæbəˈreɪʃən)
noun
1.
deviation from what is normal, expected, or usual
2.
departure from truth, morality, etc
3.
a lapse in control of one's mental faculties
4. optics
a defect in a lens or mirror that causes the formation of either a distorted image or one with coloured fringes
See also spherical aberration, chromatic aberration
5. astronomy
the apparent displacement of a celestial body due to the finite speed of light and the motion of the observer with the earth
aberration in American English
(ˌæbərˈeɪʃən)
noun
1.
a departure from what is right, true, correct, etc.
2.
a deviation from the normal or the typical
3.
mental derangement or lapse
4. Astronomy
a small, periodic apparent change in the observed position of a celestial object, caused by the constantly changing position of theearth and the finite speed of the object's light
5. Optics
a.
the failure of light rays from one point to converge at a single focus
b.
a fault in a lens or mirror causing such failure
see also chromatic aberration, spherical aberration
Derived forms
aberrational (ˌaberˈrational)
adjective
Word origin
L abberatio < aberrare: see aberrant
Examples of 'aberration' in a sentence
aberration
Victory is irrefutable proof that defeat is a strange aberration.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Justice suffers because parents have no way of trusting that their own experiences are the norm rather than an aberration.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
It was a rare aberration.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Great teams are a confluence of many factors and by and large are an aberration, rather than the results of a predictable system.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Apart from the rather disturbing aberration of Snow, they gave the film the thumbs up.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
But this period encompasses much of our own lifetime, so we think of it as the norm, rather than the aberration it really is.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In other languages
aberration
British English: aberration NOUN
An aberration is an incident or way of behaving that is not typical.
It became very clear that the incident was not just an aberration.
American English: aberration
Brazilian Portuguese: aberração
Chinese: 失常
European Spanish: aberración
French: anomalie
German: Anomalie
Italian: anomalia
Japanese: 奇行
Korean: 일탈
European Portuguese: aberração
Latin American Spanish: aberración
1 (noun)
Definition
a sudden change from what is normal, accurate, or correct
The incident was not just an aberration, not just a single incident.
Synonyms
anomaly
Their wariness of opera is an anomaly in Europe.
exception
an exception to the usual rule
defect
abnormality
inconsistency
the alleged inconsistencies in her evidence
deviation
a clear example of deviation from the norm
quirk
the quirks and foibles of people in everyday situations
peculiarity
divergence
There's substantial divergence of opinion in the party.
departure
This album is a considerable departure from her previous work.
irregularity
charges arising from alleged financial irregularities
incongruity
aberrancy
2 (noun)
Single people are treated as an aberration and made to pay extra.
Synonyms
oddity
the oddities of the Welsh legal system
abnormality
Genetic abnormalities are sometimes associated with paternal DNA.
rarity
eccentricity
We all have our little eccentricities.
peculiarity
the peculiarity of her behaviour
phenomenon
The Loch Ness monster is not the only bizarre phenomenon that bookmakers take bets on.
freak
I'm tired of them treating me like a freak just because we have different interests.
aberrancy
3 (noun)
Definition
a brief lapse in control of one's thoughts or feelings
an aberration of judgment
Synonyms
lapse
The incident was being seen as a serious security lapse.
mistake
He says there must have been some mistake.
error
NASA discovered a mathematical error in its calculations.
wandering
straying
rambling
aberrancy
Additional synonyms
in the sense of abnormality
Genetic abnormalities are sometimes associated with paternal DNA.
Synonyms
anomaly,
flaw,
rarity,
deviation,
oddity,
aberration,
exception,
peculiarity,
deformity,
irregularity,
malformation
in the sense of departure
Definition
a divergence from previous custom, rule, etc.
This album is a considerable departure from her previous work.