something anomalous deviation from the normal or usual order, type, etc; irregularity
Also called: true anomalythe angle between a planet, the sun, and the previous perihelion of the planet
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
a•nom•a•ly /əˈnɑməli/USA pronunciation
n., pl. -lies.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- [uncountable] a difference or change from the common type, rule, arrangement, or form;
irregularity;
abnormality - someone or something that differs from the expected or usual:[countable]A dog with two tails is an anomaly.
- an unexpected, unusual, or strange condition, situation, or quality:[countable]It was an anomaly for the weather to be warm in winter.
a•nom•a•ly
(ə nom′ə lē),USA pronunciation n., pl. -lies.
- Grammara deviation from the common rule, type, arrangement, or form.
- someone or something anomalous:With his quiet nature, he was an anomaly in his exuberant family.
- an odd, peculiar, or strange condition, situation, quality, etc.
- an incongruity or inconsistency.
- Astronomya quantity measured in degrees, defining the position of an orbiting body with respect to the point at which it is nearest to or farthest from its primary.
- Meteorologythe amount of deviation of a meteorological quantity from the accepted normal value of that quantity.
- Grammarirregularity.
- Greek anōmalía, equivalent. to anó̄mal(os) anomalous + -ia -ia
- Latin anōmalia
- 1565–75
- 1, 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged abnormality, exception, peculiarity.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'anomaly' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
abnormality
- anomalism
- anomalistic
- coarctation
- epicanthus
- focal seizure
- freak
- isanomal
- magnetic anomaly
- mean anomaly
- nevus
- paradox
- protanomaly
- true anomaly