Anomalous
deviating from or inconsistent with the common order, form, or rule; ; abnormal:
Advanced forms of life may be anomalous in the universe.
not fitting into a common or familiar type, classification, or pattern; unusual:
He held an anomalous position in the art world.
incongruous or inconsistent.
Grammar, .
Contemporary Examples
The recent auction records are not as anomalous as they may appear.
The Next Art Bubble Vikram Mansharamani April 12, 2011
The bank acknowledges that it has some problems, but says they are anomalous.
The Money-Laundering Vatican Bank Comes Clean Barbie Latza Nadeau May 18, 2014
On the Simenon bookshelf, it stands alone, anomalous, and awkwardly aloof.
Belgium’s Master of Noir Nathaniel Rich December 3, 2010
Portman owes his anomalous success to a mix of skill, money—and dumb luck.
Tea Party on the Run Benjamin Sarlin October 5, 2010
No matter the name, the purported “anomalous primate” has long been the subject of a cycle of stories and skepticism.
Sorry Bigfoot Truthers: Yetis Aren’t Real Elizabeth Picciuto July 2, 2014
Historical Examples
Whatever the origin of his title, it well expressed the anomalous and undefined position of the midshipman.
From Sail to Steam, Recollections of Naval Life Captain A. T. Mahan
What was anomalous in my position had passed away with the next outward mail.
Romance Joseph Conrad and F.M. Hueffer
He admitted that this was an anomalous course of legislation, and that the board would be entrusted with extraordinary powers.
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III. E. Farr and E. H. Nolan
The appearance of these two girls in this earthy family was anomalous.
The Man Who Wins Robert Herrick
Before the vast blazing pile a hideous, anomalous mob clad in indescribable rags and tatters, danced with furious, drunken joy.
Garrick’s Pupil Auguston Filon
adjective
deviating from the normal or usual order, type, etc; irregular, abnormal, or incongruous
adj.
1640s, from Late Latin anomalus, from Greek anomalos “uneven, irregular” (see anomaly). Related: Anomalously; anomalousness.
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a sudden change in the refractive index of a material for wavelengths in the vicinity of absorption bands in the spectrum of the material. Historical Examples Sellmeier’s equation may also be modified to apply to the case of anomalous dispersion. The New Gresham Encyclopedia Various The name given to this phenomenon,—“anomalous dispersion”—is an unfortunate one, […]
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See under . the dividing of a spectral line or lines as a result of placing a radiation source in a magnetic field. The division consists of three equally spaced lines (normal Zeeman effect) in systems for which the spin quantum number is zero, or of three or more unequally spaced lines (anomalous Zeeman effect) […]