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GRE vocabulary

aberrant

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore A words

departing from what is normal or expected

Word origin: From Latin aberrare, to wander away (ab- away plus errare to stray).

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In a sentence

Aberrant in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing aberrant in a sentence.

The scientist flagged the aberrant reading as a likely instrument error.

The analyst flagged one aberrant data point that did not fit the otherwise linear trend.

Synonyms
deviantanomalousatypical
Antonyms
normaltypicalconventional

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Verbal · Text Completion

Critics initially dismissed the composer's late works as merely blank, but later scholars recognized in them a deliberate restraint that concealed considerable technical sophistication.

Select the word that best completes the sentence.

Usage & nuance

Using “aberrant” well

Aberrant describes a departure from the norm, usually with a clinical or faintly negative tone. Do not confuse it with abhorrent, which means morally repugnant.

Common questions

Questions about “aberrant”

Aberrant (adjective) means departing from what is normal or expected
Here is aberrant used in an example sentence: "The scientist flagged the aberrant reading as a likely instrument error." Another example: "The analyst flagged one aberrant data point that did not fit the otherwise linear trend."
Common synonyms for aberrant include deviant, anomalous, atypical.
Antonyms of aberrant include normal, typical, conventional.
A classic GRE near-pair is aberrant versus abhorrent: they look alike but differ in meaning. Aberrant groups with anomalous and deviant.
Yes. Aberrant is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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