Definitions of Abnormality

Abstract Abnormality refers to something being atypical or differing from the norm. Reaching consensus on a universal definition of abnormality is an unsolved challenge due to the cultural and professional subjectivity of the term and the dearth of definitive cut‐offs, biomarkers, or other objective lines of demarcation that delineate the psychologically normal from the abnormal. Common definitions of psychological abnormality include dysfunction, distress, disability, and disorder. The historical, intellectual, and social contexts within which the definition of abnormality has been developed are discussed, along with etiological perspectives on psychological abnormality.