Basic Details
Word: Aberrant
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Different from what is normal or expected, usually in a way that is not welcome.
Synonyms: abnormal, irregular, odd, unusual
Antonyms: normal, typical, usual
How to Spell Aberrant
Syllables: ab - er - rant
Tricky part: The doubling is the reverse of what many students expect: one b, two r's. The ending is ant, not ent.
Watch out for: abberant, aberant, aberent
Memory tip: Split it as ab + err + ant. Something aberrant has erred, or wandered, away from the normal path, and a tiny ant sits at the end.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The doctor noticed an aberrant reading on the heart monitor and ran the test again.
Example 2: Shouting at the umpire was aberrant behaviour for such a calm player.
Example 3: Mr Iyer asked us to look for the one aberrant number in the table of results.
Fun Fact
Its noun cousin, aberration, is used by astronomers. In the 1720s James Bradley found that stars seem to shift slightly because the Earth is moving, and the effect is called the aberration of light.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word:
aberrant
a) irregular
b) normal
c) strange
d) odd
Show answer
b) normal. Odd, irregular and strange all mean much the same as aberrant; normal is its opposite.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) adjacent
b) abberant
c) apparent
d) accurate
Show answer
b) abberant. Aberrant has a single b and a double r, the reverse of the misspelt form.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
tarbenra
a) arrogant
b) abhorrent
c) aberrant
d) aberration
Show answer
c) aberrant. Abhorrent needs an h and an o, arrogant a g and an o; only aberrant fits these eight letters.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The forest officer said the tiger's aberent movements had worried the villagers nearby.
a) officer
b) movements
c) aberent
d) villagers
Show answer
c) aberent. This word ends in ant, the same ending as in pleasant.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which would be aberrant weather for Chennai?
a) humid air in summer
b) rain in November
c) snowfall in May
d) heat in May
Show answer
c) snowfall in May
2. An aberrant result in an experiment is one that ____.
a) matches every other result
b) is always the highest
c) was copied from a book
d) does not fit the pattern of the others
Show answer
d) does not fit the pattern of the others
