What does "aberration" mean?
The act of wandering; deviation from truth, moral rectitude; abnormal; divergence from the straight, correct, proper, normal, or from the natural state.
Aberration
/ˌæb.əˈɹeɪ.ʃn̩/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of wandering; deviation from truth, moral rectitude; abnormal; divergence from the straight, correct, proper, normal, or from the natural state.
- Grammar: aberration is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: aberrancy, distortion, aberrance, aberrance.
- Useful contrasts: clarity, conformity, consistency.
- Usage evidence: Investigators learned that the telescope’s primary mirror suffered from a production error, its edges too flat by 0.003 mm, resulting in an optical problem called spherical aberration.
How to use "aberration"
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Meaning check
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Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "aberration" in a final draft.
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Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of wandering; deviation from truth, moral rectitude; abnormal; divergence from the straight, correct, proper, normal, or from the natural state. countable, uncountable
"the aberration of youth"
- 2 an optical phenomenon resulting from the failure of a lens or mirror to produce a good image wordnet
- 3 The convergence to different foci, by a lens or mirror, of rays of light emanating from one and the same point, or the deviation of such rays from a single focus; a defect in a focusing mechanism that prevents the intended focal point. countable, uncountable
- 4 a disorder in one's mental state wordnet
- 5 A small periodical change of the apparent positions of the stars and other heavenly bodies, due to the combined effect of the motion of light and the motion of the observer. countable, uncountable
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 a state or condition markedly different from the norm wordnet
- 7 A small periodical change of the apparent positions of the stars and other heavenly bodies, due to the combined effect of the motion of light and the motion of the observer.; The tendency of light rays to preferentially strike the leading face of a moving object (the effect underlying the above phenomenon). broadly, countable, uncountable
- 8 A partial alienation of reason. countable, uncountable
"Occasional aberrations of intellect"
- 9 Any creature with supernatural powers not found in the organized classes of beings in a given setting. countable, uncountable
"Only by submitting to the aberration could the human traders travel safely through the territory of Zularn."
- 10 A mental disorder, especially one of a minor or temporary character. countable, uncountable
- 11 Atypical development or structure; deviation from the normal type; an aberrant organ. countable, uncountable
- 12 A deviation of a tissue, organ or mental functions from what is considered to be within the normal range. countable, uncountable
- 13 A defect in an image produced by an optical or electrostatic lens system. countable, uncountable
Antonyms
Example
"Investigators learned that the telescope’s primary mirror suffered from a production error, its edges too flat by 0.003 mm, resulting in an optical problem called spherical aberration."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "aberration"?
Common synonyms include: aberrancy, distortion, aberrance, aberrance, aberrancy, abet.
How do you use "aberration" in a sentence?
Investigators learned that the telescope’s primary mirror suffered from a production error, its edges too flat by 0.003 mm, resulting in an optical problem called spherical aberration.
How do you pronounce "aberration"?
Pronounced /ˌæb.əˈɹeɪ.ʃn̩/.
Etymology
A learned borrowing from Latin aberrātiō(n) (“relief, diversion”), first attested in 1594, from aberrō (“wander away, go astray”), from ab (“away”) + errō (“wander”). Compare French aberration. By surface analysis, aberrat(e) + -ion.