Definition of "aberration" []

• A deviation from the proper or expected course. See Synonyms at deviation. (noun)
• A departure from the normal or typical: events that were aberrations from the norm. (noun)
• Psychology A disorder or abnormal alteration in one's mental state. (noun)
• A defect of focus, such as blurring in an image. (noun)
• An imperfect image caused by a physical defect in an optical element, as in a lens. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• ""I suspect it's month by month," Greenspan said of continued economic growth, adding that "a statistical aberration is possible.""
• ""We really believe our customer and our brand should stay the course," Chief Operating Officer Roger Farah said, calling the volatility a "short-term aberration.""
• "And we are most likely to gawk if that aberration is human."