Abnormally

Abnormally is an adverb that describes something done or occurring in a manner that deviates from what is typical or expected. It is used to indicate that a feature, event, or condition is atypical, irregular, or outside the normal range, depending on the context. In science, medicine, and meteorology, abnormally signals results or occurrences that lie beyond established norms or statistical thresholds. In everyday language, it can convey that something is noticeably unusual, without necessarily expressing a value judgment about quality.

The word abnormally is derived from abnormal, which comes from the Latin abnormalis, formed from ab- “away” and norma “rule.” Abnormally thus functions as the adverbial form of the adjective abnormal, preserving the sense of deviation from a standard or rule.

Usage of abnormally often involves comparisons to a norm or average. It commonly appears with adjectives or nouns describing measurements, conditions, or phenomena, such as abnormally high temperatures or abnormally slow growth. In formal writing, the choice between abnormally and unusually can reflect subtle distinctions: abnormally tends to emphasize deviation from established norms or statistical expectations, while unusually can be more general or subjective.

See also elements related to deviation from the norm, including abnormal, abnormality, anomaly, and statistical outlier. The term is widely understood across disciplines but may carry different connotations depending on context, from clinical description to everyday observation.