Other forms: abnormalities
An abnormality is a physical defect or irregular feature a doctor would flag. A chromosomal abnormality, no abnormalities found, a minor abnormality.
It is a technical word and a heavy one to hear, which is why reports increasingly say variation or finding instead. In a scan or a blood test, an abnormality means something outside the expected range rather than something necessarily wrong.
1nounabnormalityA physical defect or irregular feature in a body, a scan, or a reading that a doctor would flag as needing attention.
“Doctors found an abnormality in his heartbeat during a routine check.”
abnormality is a defect.
Ancient Greek
ἀνώμαλος
Latin
abnormis — departing from normal
English
abnormal
English, today
abnormality
From abnormal + -ity. abnormal comes from ab- + normal. From ab- + normal. First attested in 1835, replacing the earlier anormal and even earlier abnormous, from Latin abnormis (“departing from normal”), from either ab- + norma, or Ancient Greek ἀνώμαλος.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA