atypical
adjective
atyp·i·cal
(ˌ)ā-ˈti-pi-kəl 
2
medical
: relating to or being an antipsychotic drug (such as risperidone) that tends to produce fewer adverse side effects on movement (such as dyskinesia) than previously used antipsychotic drugs (such as haloperidol)
Atypical antipsychotics work more precisely, manipulating both dopamine and serotonin and suppressing symptoms without causing so many associated problems.—
Jeffrey Kluger
Jeffrey KlugerSynonyms
Examples of atypical in a Sentence
the postal service delivered the package with atypical speed
since that's an atypical response for an infant, you might want to have her hearing tested
Recent Examples on the Web
What started as an atypical rescue on a Georgia road ended with a social media-worthy selfie.
—Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024
This atypical Western focuses more on character development than gunplay, and the shootout at the climax ends in a surprisingly satisfying way.
—Danny Horn, EW.com, 9 Apr. 2024
Occasional incorrectly reported, atypical home sales and special circumstances may be listed or alter the average cost per square foot.
—Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
Symptoms include fatigue, swelling, and atypical heart rhythms.
—Mario Aguilar, STAT, 15 Feb. 2024
Those atypical payments made up about half of the money Trump made during his tenure as the company’s leader.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024
Psychiatrists sometimes prescribe an atypical antipsychotic, depending on your exact diagnosis and tolerance for side effects.
—Health Editorial Team, Health, 23 Mar. 2024
Visiting scientists interrupted the atypical farm animal and captured it.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024
This winter's atypical lack of snow unfortunately makes litter on the street more noticeable than usual.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024
Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024
This atypical Western focuses more on character development than gunplay, and the shootout at the climax ends in a surprisingly satisfying way.
—Danny Horn, EW.com, 9 Apr. 2024
Occasional incorrectly reported, atypical home sales and special circumstances may be listed or alter the average cost per square foot.
—Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
Symptoms include fatigue, swelling, and atypical heart rhythms.
—Mario Aguilar, STAT, 15 Feb. 2024
Those atypical payments made up about half of the money Trump made during his tenure as the company’s leader.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024
Psychiatrists sometimes prescribe an atypical antipsychotic, depending on your exact diagnosis and tolerance for side effects.
—Health Editorial Team, Health, 23 Mar. 2024
Visiting scientists interrupted the atypical farm animal and captured it.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024
This winter's atypical lack of snow unfortunately makes litter on the street more noticeable than usual.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'atypical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near atypical
Cite this Entry
“Atypical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atypical. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Medical Definition
atypical
1 of 2 adjective
atyp·i·cal
(ˈ)ā-ˈtip-i-kəl
1
: not typical : not like the usual or normal type
The procedure, ductal lavage, washes cells from the milk ducts, where 95 percent of breast cancers start. Tests can then be performed to look for atypical or abnormal cells.—Judith Groch, The New York Times
Judith Groch, The New York TimesThe results of treatment of patients with gallstones are less successful in individuals with atypical pain patterns or painless dyspepsia …—The Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical AssociationIn some patients with atypical dysgenesis, the smear may show slight proliferation.—George L Wied et al., Compendium on Diagnostic Cytology
George L Wied et al., Compendium on Diagnostic Cytology2
: relating to or being an antipsychotic drug (such as aripiprazole and risperidone) that tends to produce fewer adverse side effects on movement (such as akathisia or dyskinesia) than previously used antipsychotic drugs (such as haloperidol)
Atypical antipsychotics work more precisely, manipulating both dopamine and serotonin and suppressing symptoms without causing so many associated problems.—Jeffrey Kluger, Time
Jeffrey Kluger, TimeAlthough studies indicated that the atypical drugs are similar to the conventional drugs in reducing psychotic symptoms and produce few neurologic effects, the evidence of their superior efficacy has been neither consistent nor robust …—Jeffrey A. Lieberman et al., The New England Journal of Medicine
Jeffrey A. Lieberman et al., The New England Journal of Medicine
atypically
adverb
Atypically depressed patients often show a different clinical picture from those with "classical" major depression.
—Ronald Pies, The New York Times
Ronald Pies, The New York Times
atypical
2 of 2 noun
: an atypical antipsychotic drug (see atypical entry 1 sense 2)
Her 24-year-old daughter, diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1993, had problems with two types of atypicals before a third proved successful.—Stephaan Harris, USA Today
Stephaan Harris, USA TodayLove words? Need even more definitions?
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