anomalous
/əˈnɒm.ə.ləs/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
Different from what is normal or expected. It often describes something unusual in a pattern, system, result, or behaviour.
- The test result was anomalous.
- We noticed an anomalous pattern in the data.
- Such weather is anomalous for July.
Adinary Nuance
Anomalous is stronger and more formal than 'unusual'. It usually suggests a clear difference from a pattern, not just something odd. Writers often choose it for data, science, and academic contexts. If you want a softer everyday word, use 'strange' or 'unusual' instead.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- bất thường
- Spanish
- anómalo
- Chinese
- 异常
- Japanese
- 異常な
- Korean
- 비정상적인
Etymology
Anomalous comes from Greek anomalos, meaning 'uneven' or 'irregular'. It entered English through Latin and French in the 1600s.
Common phrases
anomalous resultanomalous behaviouranomalous dataanomalous pattern
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is anomalous formal or informal?
- It is fairly formal and common in academic, scientific, and business writing.
- What is the difference between anomalous and unusual?
- Unusual means not common. Anomalous suggests a clear break from a normal pattern.
- Can I use anomalous in everyday conversation?
- Yes, but it may sound serious or technical. 'Odd' or 'strange' is more natural in casual speech.
- Is anomalous used in IELTS writing?
- Yes. It is useful when you describe data, trends, results, or patterns.