Aberration

/ˌæbəˈreɪʃən/advancednoun

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Meaning

A departure from what is normal, expected, or typical; an anomaly.

Memory trick

ABERRATION comes from “err”, something has wandered off the normal path.

Examples

1

The sudden traffic spike looked like an aberration rather than a trend.

2

His rude comment was an aberration from his usual kindness.

3

The team treated the failed run as an aberration and checked the inputs first.

Synonyms

anomalydeviationirregularityabnormalityoddityexceptionoutlier

Antonyms

normstandardregularitypatternconformity

Etymology

From Latin aberratio "a wandering away," from aberrare "to stray," from ab- "away" + errare "to wander."

Usage Notes

Useful when something strays from the usual pattern, especially in data, behavior, or science.

Real-life contexts

1

Use in analysis: "This looks like an aberration, not a structural shift."

2

Use in retros: "Was that outage an aberration or a warning sign?"

3

Use in behavior: "That reaction felt like an aberration for her."

Common Mistakes

Aberration suggests a noticeable deviation, not just a minor difference.

Aberration: Meaning, Memory Trick & Examples | WordFlippin