Abnormally

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /æbˈnɔɹ.mə.li/

Definitions

1. In a manner that deviates from what is standard, typical, or expected
2. In a way that diverges significantly from normal patterns or behaviors
3. In a fashion that is distinctly unusual or not in accordance with regular norms

Etymology: "Abnormally" is an inflected form: it is the adverb made from "abnormal" plus the suffix "-ly", which turns an adjective into an adverb of manner. The suffix itself has a long pedigree, descending from a Germanic word for "body" or "form" that gave English "-like" as well as "-ly", so "abnormally" literally means "in a way that is not like the usual form." The adjective underneath it is the more interesting part. "Abnormal" was built in English from the prefix "ab-", meaning "away from", and "normal", which comes from Latin "norma", a carpenter's square used to make a right angle. A norm was thus the measure that kept things true, and something abnormal had strayed from that line. The Latin "norma" was itself probably borrowed from an Etruscan source, and the Latin "normalis" that gave English "normal" was a later derivative. Together, the sense of "off the square" carries into the modern meaning of irregularity.

Synonyms: unusually, atypically, irregularly, exceptionally, oddly

Antonyms: normally, typically