anormais

Anormais is the Portuguese adjective and plural noun form derived from normal, used to describe something that deviates from typical norms or expectations. As an adjective, anormal refers to irregular, atypical, or deviant characteristics in objects, processes, measurements, or phenomena. As a noun, os anormais can refer to people or things considered outside the standard, though this usage is often pejorative and can be stigmatizing when applied to individuals.

The term derives from the root norma (norm) with the prefix a- or an- indicating negation. In Portuguese, related terms include anormalidade (abnormality) and anomalia (anomaly), which are more common in formal or technical contexts. The word resides in a semantic field that includes irregularity, deviation, and irregular functioning, and it competes with more specialized terms depending on the context.

In practice, anormais is used across different domains to signal deviation from a norm. In medicine and science, more precise terms such as anormality or anomalia are typically preferred to describe deviations in structure, function, or data. In everyday language, anormal can describe unusual events, outcomes, or behavior; however, labeling people as anormais is usually considered insensitive and is avoided in respectful discourse. The choice of term often reflects the speaker’s stance toward the deviation—descriptive in scientific contexts, evaluative or pejorative in casual or social contexts.

See also: abnormal, anomaly, irregularity, deviation, anomalia.

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