What does abnormally mean?
"Abnormally" is an adverb meaning in a way that departs from what is normal, usual, or expected. It most often modifies adjectives describing measurable conditions — as in "abnormally high", "abnormally low", or "abnormally large" — and appears frequently in medical, scientific, and meteorological contexts, where precision about deviation from a baseline matters. The word is neutral in itself but can carry a clinical or judgmental tone when applied to people or behaviour, which is why speakers sometimes soften it to "unusually" in casual conversation. Derived from "abnormal", which combines the Latin prefix ab- ("away from") with norma ("rule" or "carpenter's square"), it literally suggests something straying from the standard. Related forms include the adjective "abnormal" and the noun "abnormality". Its closest synonyms are "unusually", "exceptionally", and "atypically", while its natural opposites are "normally" and "typically". For learners, it is a precise, versatile word for flagging anything that falls outside the ordinary range.
adverbIn a manner that deviates from what is normal, usual, or expected; especially to an unusual or abnormal degree.
- To an extent that deviates markedly from what is usual, average, or expected (often used with adjectives describing measurements or conditions).
- In a way that is not normal or healthy, especially in medical or psychological contexts.
"The patient's blood pressure was abnormally high during the examination."
"Temperatures were abnormally cold for May, and frost damaged much of the vineyard."
"The scan revealed an abnormally enlarged lymph node that required further testing."
The word 'abnormal' literally means 'away from the rule' — from Latin norma, the carpenter's square that Roman builders used as their standard of straightness.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of abnormally
"Abnormally" derives from "abnormal", formed in English from the Latin prefix ab- ("away from") plus norma, meaning a carpenter's square or rule, hence a standard or pattern. The adjective "abnormal" entered English around the early nineteenth century, displacing earlier forms like "abnomaly", and the adverb followed shortly after. It shares its root with words such as "normal", "normalize", and "enormous" (literally "out of the norm").
Related word forms
How abnormally is actually used
Neutral to formal register, common in medical, scientific, and meteorological writing. When applied to people or behaviour it can sound clinical or judgmental, so writers often prefer gentler alternatives such as 'unusually' in everyday conversation.
Easily confused with abnormally
'Anomalously' means in a way inconsistent with what is expected (from 'anomaly'), while 'abnormally' emphasizes deviation from a normal or healthy standard.