aberration

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/ˌæbəˈreɪʃən/
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A formal word for a noticeable departure from what is normal, plus technical uses for optical defects, biological abnormalities, and apparent shifts in astronomy.

Examples

  • The astronomer corrected the observation for aberration.
  • The lawyer described the act as a single aberration.
  • The warm winter looked like a climate aberration at first.
  • She blamed the forgotten appointment on a brief mental aberration.
  • Stellar aberration changes a star's apparent position during the year.

Similar words

defect
annual aberration
variation
stellar aberration
failing
deviation
exception
departure
anomaly
imperfection

Meanings

Departure from what is normal

noun
everyday
formal
A person, event, result, or feature that differs noticeably from what is usual, expected, or accepted.

Examples

  • The sudden drop in sales was an aberration, not a trend.
  • Her angry reply was out of character, a brief aberration.
  • The warm winter looked like a climate aberration at first.
  • One bad score should be treated as an aberration.
  • The judge called the incident an aberration in an otherwise honest career.
  • A single noisy measurement may simply be an aberration.

Similar words

Lapse in judgment or thought

noun
everyday
formal
A temporary failure of judgment, memory, or clear thinking.

Examples

  • In a moment of aberration, he sent the email to the wrong client.
  • She blamed the forgotten appointment on a brief mental aberration.
  • The outburst was an aberration, not his usual way of speaking.
  • Calling the error an aberration did not satisfy the committee.
  • A tired mind is more likely to produce small aberrations.
  • The lawyer described the act as a single aberration.

Similar words

Optical defect

noun
technical
technical
A flaw in a lens, mirror, or optical system that prevents light from forming a sharp, accurate image.

Examples

  • The cheap lens showed strong chromatic aberration at the edges.
  • Engineers adjusted the mirror to reduce spherical aberration.
  • Optical aberration can make stars look smeared instead of sharp.
  • The microscope objective was designed to correct aberration.
  • Coma is an aberration that distorts off-axis points of light.
  • Software can remove some visible aberrations from a photograph.

Similar words

Biological abnormality

noun
medical
technical
An abnormal structure, function, or pattern in a biological system, especially in chromosomes or cells.

Examples

  • The lab report noted a chromosomal aberration.
  • Genetic aberrations can affect how cells divide.
  • Researchers linked the cellular aberration to the disease pathway.
  • The screening test looks for structural aberrations in chromosomes.
  • Not every genetic aberration leads to illness.
  • The paper described an aberration in normal cell signaling.

Similar words

Apparent shift in a celestial object

noun
technical
technical
An apparent change in the observed position of a star or other celestial body caused by the motion of light and the motion of the observer.

Examples

  • Stellar aberration changes a star's apparent position during the year.
  • Annual aberration is linked to Earth's motion around the Sun.
  • The astronomer corrected the observation for aberration.
  • Light-time effects and aberration are related but not identical.
  • Bradley's study of aberration helped confirm that light has a finite speed.
  • Planetary aberration affects the apparent direction of solar system bodies.

Similar words

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin aberratio, from aberrare, meaning to wander away. The Latin verb combines ab, away, with errare, to wander or stray, which explains the central idea of moving away from the expected path.

FAQ

What does aberration mean?

It means a noticeable departure from what is normal or expected. In technical contexts it can also mean an optical defect, a biological abnormality, or an apparent shift in astronomy.

Is abberation a correct spelling?

No. The correct spelling is aberration, with one b and two r letters.

Is aberration formal?

Yes. In general use it sounds formal and is often replaced by simpler words such as exception, anomaly, or oddity.

What is chromatic aberration?

Chromatic aberration is an optical defect where different colors of light focus differently, often creating colored fringes in an image.

What is a chromosomal aberration?

A chromosomal aberration is an abnormal number or structure of chromosomes in a cell.

What is stellar aberration?

Stellar aberration is the apparent shift in a star's position caused by the motion of the observer and the travel of light.

What is the difference between aberration and anomaly?

An anomaly is anything that does not fit a pattern. An aberration often suggests a temporary, exceptional, or unwanted departure from the norm.

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