Skip to main content
atypical

atypical

27 5.7
Different from what is usual or expected
  • adjective
  • /eɪˈtɪpɪkəl/
translation icon : atípico
  • That is a very atypical experience because you went from obscurity to to number one in an industry in in weeks.
  • atypical behavior
  • atypical pneumonia
  • atypical case

Not like that. Not like that. I mean, my Yeah, my sense was that this is very atypical for you. Very. So I

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Well, for years we've known women have atypical symptoms presenting with when they present with a heart attack.

  • So this has been a very atypical election year for stocks.

  • Learn atypical things so you can do atypical things.

  • Two of these cases were of the atypical type, and the other was typical.

    Academic text (1999)
  • There is nothing atypical about your grief.

  • Children with autism show an atypical range of interests and patterns of behavior.

    Academic text (1999)
  • And I would say you've lived a really atypical life.

  • Music educators are in a unique position to recognize atypical behaviors in their students.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Additionally, the participants reported how their atypical height often resulted in unwarranted attention.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Her interests in obscure genres made her an atypical film enthusiast among her friends.

Synonyms

strange
vsatypical
2.3

Unusual and slightly odd in a way you cannot easily understand

is the neutral way to mark difference without surprise or mystery
unusual
vsatypical
2.2

Not common and different from what people expect

is a broader neutral label for things that differ from expectation
different
vsatypical
913 2.0

Not usual and not like what people expect

is the specific neutral label for not matching common expectations
odd
vsatypical
798 1.0

Different from what is normal or expected

is the plain label for difference without quirky or eccentric feeling
peculiar
vsatypical
123 4.6

Different from what is normal and expected

is the neutral term for difference without implying strangeness
uncommon
vsatypical
122 4.6

Not often found or seen and so rare

is the general word for being different, not only meaning rare
abnormal
vsatypical
100 4.2

Different from what is usual in a way that may be worrying

is the neutral word for being different without negative or worrying sense
unconventional
vsatypical
77 6.2

Different from what most people do or accept

is the basic label for being different, not tied to tradition breaking
out of the ordinary
vsatypical
48 4.1

Not usual and different from what people expect

is the neutral term for being different without extra emphasis
anomalous
vsatypical
23 8.1

Not like what is usual or expected

is the neutral term for being different, not a rule or order issue
irregular
vsatypical
14 3.4

Not following a usual pattern or rule

is broader and does not only flag pattern or rule breaks
aberrant
vsatypical
14 8.2

Different from what is normal, often in a way people see as wrong

is the neutral term for being different without negative judgment
uncharacteristic
vsatypical
14 5.4

Not usual for a person or thing

is the general label for being different across people or cases
untypical
vsatypical
1 6.2

Not usual for people or things of the same kind

is the broader term for general difference beyond class mismatch
unordinary
vsatypical
1 7.0

Not usual and different from what you expect

is the neutral descriptor for any deviation without added tone
non-typical
vsatypical
4.8

Not usual or expected

is the wider neutral term for being different in many contexts
atypic
vsatypical
9.5

Not like most others of the same kind

is about being different generally, not only lacking group fit
aberrative
vsatypical
9.5

Different from what is normal or expected

is the broader neutral label for difference, not implying defect
non-normal
vsatypical
  • Specialized
7.7

Not following the usual or expected pattern in data

is the everyday label for difference, not the technical statistical term
nonnormative
vsatypical
9.0

Not usual or what most people expect

is the common general word for difference, not the theoretical sense

Antonyms

1.0

Usual or expected in most situations

843 1.0

Having the usual qualities of a person, thing, or group

Compounds

atypical pneumonia
  • Specialized
2 5.3

A lung infection with high fever and cough that often affects children and young adults

5.3

A lung infection in children and young adults that causes high fever and cough

How Atypical

bizarre
406 5.9
atypical
27 5.7
unusual
2.2
typical
843 1.0

Surface Forms

atypical positive
atypicaler comparative
atypicalest superlative

Morphology

atypical = typical (semi-transparent) = a + type + ic + al

The meaning is mostly recoverable as 'not typical', but the negative prefix 'a-' is less familiar and less productive for many learners than 'un-' or 'non-'.

Etymology

Atypical starts with the small part a- meaning 'not' and the rest is like the simple word type, which means 'a model' or 'pattern'. So atypical means 'not following the usual pattern', which is why we use it for something unusual or unexpected.