Which definition best matches the word abnormal?

• A. Not unusual or typical
• B. Strange
• C. Not what is considered to be normal
• D. Normal

Answer: (B)

Abnormal means deviating from what is usual or expected, and in everyday usage that often comes across as odd or unusual. The best match here is the sense of being odd or out of the ordinary, which is captured by “strange.” That word conveys something that doesn’t fit the norm and stands out, which is the common feeling behind the idea of abnormal. The option describing something not unusual or typical would define normal, which is the opposite. The literally precise dictionary sense “not what is considered to be normal” is accurate but sounds more formal and less aligned with the everyday nuance of abnormal. And of course, “normal” is simply the opposite of abnormal.