aberrant •\a-ˈber-ənt, ə-, -ˈbe-rənt;ˈa-bə-rənt, -ˌber-ənt, -ˌbe-rənt\• adjective and noun adjective: markedly different from an accepted norm noun: one whose behavior departs substantially from the norm of a group The word aberrant has appeared in 25 New York Times articles in the past year, including on April 20 in "At Binghamton University, Halt to Pledging Amid Hazing Concerns" by Peter Applebome: BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - Binghamton University, one of the Northeast's top public colleges, has halted all fraternity and sorority pledging this spring after what it called an "alarmingly high number of serious hazing complaints." Administrators and students said there was no indication their hazing problem was worse than those at other colleges. But the move at Binghamton is emblematic of an increasingly tough stance on hazing and on other forms of student misbehavior on campuses nationwide. "The climate on campuses is such that there's just much less tolerance for aberrant behavior, particularly anything that can result in violence or injuries to others," said Kevin Kruger, president of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. Learn more about the word "aberrant" and see usage examples across a range of subjects on the Vocabulary dictionary.