anomaly

noun

ə-ˈnä-mə-lē How to pronounce anomaly (audio)
Definition of anomalynext
1
as in exception
something that is different from what is ordinary or expected her C grade is an anomaly, as she's never made anything except A's and B's before

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2
as in abnormality
a person, thing, or event that is far from normal snow in July is an anomaly in most of the northern hemisphere

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of anomaly New features include Automated Bank-Reconciliation that allows JAX to identify unreconciled transactions, duplicates, missing documents and anomalies, then help resolve them while updating the books in real time. — Gene Marks, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 The approach does not automatically establish the exact cause of every settlement anomaly, and underground conditions can be complex. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026 The sound of the band is an anomaly, even within the obscure parameters of underground Latin. — Ernesto Lechner, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 The oversize dive and pilot’s watches of the 1990s and early 2000s were an anomaly, and recent years have seen a return to more sensible proportions. — Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for anomaly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anomaly
  1. exception
  2. abnormality
  3. rarity
  4. mutation
  5. monster
  6. freak
Noun
  • The law includes several exceptions, including certain vehicles, medical devices and other equipment.
    — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The developers have sought an exception to rules around how much parking can front a nearby boulevard, and will be expected to provide extra landscaping and screening to buffer the parking from nearby properties.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of exception
Noun
  • Medical experts at the time suspected her death was caused by a brain abnormality that ruptured because of the intensity of the ride.
    — Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Physicians needed to decide what to do if a pregnant woman came to the ER suffering from organ failure, or carrying a fetus with a fatal abnormality.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of abnormality
Noun
  • The rarity of the condition means diagnosis can be delayed, increasing the chances of severe symptoms.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Its native structure, the twenty-two-episode season, has become a rarity in the industry, as has its default lightness.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of rarity
Noun
  • In people with the natural mutation, every cell in the body has the deactivated ANGPTL3 gene.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • High doses of radiation damage DNA and can cause mutations that lead to cancer.
    — Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of mutation
Noun
  • Hugh Jackman plays the titular monster hunter, who is sent to destroy Dracula.
    — Kara Nesvig, Parents, 29 Aug. 2026
  • There will be no B-movie monsters wearing terrible prosthetics, no scripts full of non sequiturs, no glitchy graphics.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of monster
Noun
  • Hannah says the family does not suspect that Jenny died by suicide and believes what happened was likely either foul play or a freak accident.
    — David Chiu, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Adapt to survive Along with a warming trend pushing harvesting seasons earlier, European wine growers are up against drought, freak weather events such as spring hailstorms and frost which wiped out many buds, and wildfires.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of freak

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anomalousness
anomaly
anon
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Cite this Entry

“Anomaly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anomaly. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on anomaly

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about anomaly

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