Anomalous
/əˈnɒm.ə.ləs/noun
Deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected.
Did you know?Anomalous comes from Greek roots used for things that were not level or not in the same fold, so the word began as a physical image of unevenness before becoming a label for anything strange or out of pattern.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
anōmalos
“uneven, irregular, not level”
Late Latin
Latin
anomalus
“irregular, uneven”
Middle French
French
anomal
“irregular, abnormal”
16th Century
English
anomalous
“irregular, deviating from the norm”
Modern English
English
anomalous
“deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected”