atypical
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What does atypical mean? Atypical is used to describe something that does not conform to the norm or that is irregular, such as an atypical behavior or an atypical action.Something that is atypical differs in a noticeable way from other items of its kind. An atypical flower might be a flower that glows in the dark (if you discover one, let us know!). An atypical horror film could be one in which the monster tries to be friends with everyone rather than kill them.Example: These fixtures are atypical of our usual products.
Other Word Forms
- atypicality noun
- atypically adverb
Etymology
Origin of atypical
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Naturally, the pool of films shortlisted for the 2021 Oscars looked much different than it otherwise might have, making that year’s nominees both thrillingly diverse and completely atypical.
From Salon
Oftentimes, these atypical acquiring editors grew their online book communities for several years before landing at Bindery.
From Los Angeles Times
Importantly, lower activity in these regions could predict whether a child had typical or atypical math abilities.
From Science Daily
That was atypical for Cook, who normally cuts inventory to the bone to maximize Apple’s cash flow.
Value may indeed exist there—though perhaps of the atypical variety.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
