Language Focus  ·  Expressions

When Something Doesn't Fit

Three useful words and expressions for talking about things that are unusual, unexpected, or clearly different from the rest.

an anomalynoun

Something that is different from what is normal or expected; something that doesn't fit the pattern.

Examples

  1. 1 Last month's drop in sales was an anomaly — every other month this year has shown steady growth.
  2. 2 The test results were an anomaly. We ran the experiment three more times and got completely different numbers.
  3. 3 Snow in April is an anomaly in this part of the country. It almost never happens.
  4. 4 Her calm reaction was an anomaly — everyone else in the room was visibly stressed.
an outliernoun

A person, result, or piece of data that is very different from the rest of a group; something that falls far outside the normal range.

Examples

  1. 1 Most students scored between 60 and 75 on the test, but two students scored over 95. The teacher noted them as outliers.
  2. 2 The company's profits have been low for years. Last quarter's strong results may just be an outlier.
  3. 3 On the chart, all the numbers grouped towards the middle, but there were two outliers in the lower quadrant.
  4. 4 Before drawing any conclusions from the data, the team removed several outliers that were skewing the results.
stand outphrasal verb

To be clearly different or more noticeable than others, in a way that is easy to see.

Examples

  1. 1 Her application stood out immediately — it was the only one that included a short video introduction.
  2. 2 One data point stood out from the rest. It was nearly three times higher than the average.
  3. 3 He doesn't try to stand out, but his work always gets noticed.
  4. 4 Among all the white buildings, the tall blue one really stands out.

English Language Focus  ·  B1+ Level