Skip to content
GREMockTests
GRE vocabulary

anomalous

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore A words

deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected

Word origin: From Greek anomalos, uneven (an- not plus homalos even).

Start a free GRE mock test 39 minutes · free · instant score
In a sentence

Anomalous in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing anomalous in a sentence.

Scientists struggled to explain the anomalous data points that contradicted the established model.

The anomalous reading prompted the team to recalibrate every instrument in the lab.

Synonyms
aberrantatypicalirregulardeviant
Antonyms
normaltypicalstandardconventional

Quick GRE check

Question 1 of 3

3 questions, about 2 minutes. How would you do on the real test?

Verbal · Text Completion

The novelist's late style is admired precisely for its blank: every superfluous phrase has been pared away, leaving prose of startling economy.

Select the word that best completes the sentence.

Usage & nuance

Using “anomalous” well

Anomalous describes something that deviates from the expected standard, often in a scientific or analytical context. It is the adjective corresponding to anomaly and stays largely neutral in tone.

Common questions

Questions about “anomalous”

Anomalous (adjective) means deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected
Here is anomalous used in an example sentence: "Scientists struggled to explain the anomalous data points that contradicted the established model." Another example: "The anomalous reading prompted the team to recalibrate every instrument in the lab."
Common synonyms for anomalous include aberrant, atypical, irregular, deviant.
Antonyms of anomalous include normal, typical, standard, conventional.
Anomalous pairs with aberrant, atypical, irregular, and deviant in GRE Verbal. Its antonyms normal, typical, standard, and conventional mark the expected baseline.
Yes. Anomalous is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

See these words the way the GRE tests them.

Take the free 39-minute GRE Quick Mock Test and meet words like this inside real Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions, with a worked solution for every answer.