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 KlugerExamples 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 is atypical, economists say, is the historically high ratio of stock prices to corporate earnings.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025
Their daring brand of soccer chosen by Varas, general manager Tyler Heaps and president Tom Penn is atypical in MLS.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2025
An atypical role for a presidential foundation At the least, the developments represent an unusually tense application of the foundation’s typical mission, which is to buttress Reagan’s legacy.
—Bill Barrow, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
Such queries aren’t atypical when new management comes into a news division.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atypical
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Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025
Their daring brand of soccer chosen by Varas, general manager Tyler Heaps and president Tom Penn is atypical in MLS.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2025
An atypical role for a presidential foundation At the least, the developments represent an unusually tense application of the foundation’s typical mission, which is to buttress Reagan’s legacy.
—Bill Barrow, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
Such queries aren’t atypical when new management comes into a news division.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atypical
Cite this Entry
“Atypical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atypical. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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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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