anomaly

Definition

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

Etymology

From Latin anomalia, from Ancient Greek ἀνωμαλία (anōmalía, “irregularity, anomaly”), from ἀνώμαλος (anṓmalos, “irregular, uneven”), negating the meaning of ὁμαλός (homalós, “even”), from ὁμός (homós, “same”).

Example Sentences

• "This ardent exploration, absorbing all his energy and interest, made him forget for the moment the mystery of his heritage and the anomaly that cut him off from all his fellows."
• "He is an anomaly among his friends in that he's the only one who's unmarried."
• "She disregarded some of the anomalies in the experiment, putting them down to miscalculation."