French word

aberration

Pronunciation

IPA/abɛʁasjɔ̃/

Meaning

  • feminine nounanomaly

Example

C'est une aberration.

It's an anomaly.

Illustration for aberration (anomaly)

More examples

Le retard de livraison est une aberration.

The delivery delay is an aberration.

Core concept

Something that stands noticeably outside an otherwise recognizable norm or pattern.

Similar words

anomalie: A state that does not fit expected standards or normal conditions.
erreur: A mistake caused by an incorrect judgment or action.
écart: A difference or shift away from what is expected or average.
bizarrerie: A strange event or quality that differs from what is usual.

Definition in French

Terme désignant une chose ou un comportement qui s'écarte nettement de la norme ou de ce qui est attendu.

Word origin

The French noun preserves the sense of Latin aberratio, a wandering away formed from ab and errare, which developed into a term for deviation.

Usage tips

  • Aberration is relatively formal in everyday French, while "bizarre" is more natural for lightly describing something odd.

Other meanings

  • deviationnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • aberrantaberrantadjective

Word lists with this word