Using the word normal

нормальный, обычный, стандартный, нормаль, нормальное состояние

прилагательное

- нормальный, обыкновенный; обычный

normal intelligence — нормальные умственные способности
normal winter weather — обычная зимняя погода
pulse normal for a person’s age — пульс, нормальный для данного возраста

- психически нормальный

his is perfectly normal — он совершенно нормален
he can’t be normal! — он не в своём уме!

- стандартный, нормальный; типовой

normal conditions — тех. нормальные условия работы
normal charge — воен. полный заряд

- средний

normal country — воен. среднепересечённая местность

- плановый; расчётный

normal barrage — воен. плановый заградительный огонь
normal load — тех. запроектированная нагрузка
normal crook — допустимая кривизна (бревна и т. п.)
normal bed capacity — штатная коечная ёмкость (госпиталя)

- мат. перпендикулярный; нормальный

normal cross-section — поперечное сечение, сечение, перпендикулярное оси
normal force — спец. вертикально направленная сила
normal impact — а) воен. попадание по нормали; б) физ. удар по нормали (к поверхности)
normal to smth. — под прямым углом к чему-л.

- стат. имеющий нормальное распределение

normal landing — ав. посадка на три точки
normal uranium — природный уран
normal fire — воен. одиночный огонь; обычный вид огня

существительное

- нормальное состояние
- нормальный, стандартный тип, образец, размер
- хим. нормальный раствор
- мат. нормаль, перпендикуляр
- метеор. среднее многолетнее значение параметра
- мед. нормальная температура
- текст. полушерстяной трикотаж

summer normal — амер. летние учительские курсы усовершенствования

Мои примеры

Словосочетания

a normal level of intelligence — нормальный уровень интеллекта  
the department’s return to normal — возвращение отдела в своё обычное состояние  
normal birth — ничем не осложнённое появление на свет  
normal immunity — естественный иммунитет  
normal complement — инвариантное дополнение  
completely normal — наследственно-нормальный  
normal completion — успешное завершение  
normal complex — нормальный комплекс  
normal component — нормальная составляющая (вектора)  
normal law of composition — алг. нормальный закон композиции  
normal composition — нормальная композиция (алгоритмов)  
normal cone — нормальный конус  

Примеры с переводом

They had a normal, healthy baby.

У них был обычный, здоровый ребенок.

Normal people don’t react that way.

Нормальные люди так не реагируют.

He had a normal childhood.

У него было нормальное детство.

All I want is to lead a normal life.

Всё, чего я хочу — это жить, как все.

A normal working week is 40 hours.

Обычная рабочая неделя составляет сорок часов.

I’m glad that things are back to normal.

Я рад, что всё вернулось к норме.

Slowly her heartbeat returned to normal.

Её сердцебиение медленно вернулось в норму.

ещё 23 примера свернуть

Примеры, ожидающие перевода

He seems a perfectly normal little boy.

She had all the normal childhood illnesses.

Outwardly, their marriage seemed quite normal.

Для того чтобы добавить вариант перевода, кликните по иконке , напротив примера.

Возможные однокоренные слова

normality  — нормальность, нормальное состояние, обычное состояние
normalize  — нормализовать, нормировать, стандартизировать, упорядочивать
normally  — нормально

Adjective



He had a normal childhood.



These little setbacks are a normal part of life.



a potato twice as big as normal size



Despite her illness, she was able to lead a normal life.



They had a normal, healthy baby.



Normal people don’t react that way.

Noun



Your blood pressure is higher than normal.



Let’s hope everything returns to normal soon.



I’m glad that things are back to normal.



Oil prices are above normal.

See More

Recent Examples on the Web



Theater owners criticized Universal for opting for a PVOD release for Trolls World Tour and urged that the decision be a one-off and not a new normal for Hollywood.


Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Mar. 2023





His weight could climb nine pounds in two days, a sign that his body could be retaining water, then drop below his normal range, a sign that his kidneys could be failing.


Jaeah Lee, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2023





Space travel, autonomous vehicles and instant access to information are the new normal.


Terry Powell, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023





But these transits are normal, particularly for this particular president.


Transcript: John Kirby, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2023





First off, my girlfriend is very normal in the best way, very down to earth.


Wayne And Wanda, Anchorage Daily News, 26 Mar. 2023





That’s normal for a television series, as most scenes in any show are shot on a set in order to control sound and lighting, among other factors.


Katie Rife, EW.com, 24 Mar. 2023





Brad Rippey, meteorologist with the US Department of Agriculture, said end-of-February storage in the state’s 154 primary intrastate reservoirs is effectively normal for the end of winter.


Rachel Ramirez, CNN, 24 Mar. 2023





Ellen furtively checks the Paperless Post invite to no avail while Mitch acts like everything is normal, helping to synch up a troublesome Bluetooth speaker.


Nina Sharma, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2023




The winter catalyzes the group’s acceptance of their new normal.


Keith Nelson, Men’s Health, 24 Mar. 2023





Regardless of the reason for the growth, what is clear to all three scientists is that coastal communities will learn to manage the new normal of this seaweed.


Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 14 Mar. 2023





Temperatures in the Valley are expected to remain within 5 degrees of seasonal normals through early next week.


Sydney Carruth, The Arizona Republic, 15 Feb. 2023





Welcome to the new normal for New England winters, where increasingly, maple syrup producers are tapping trees over a month early, ski resorts and skating rinks are opening later or not at all, and T-shirt weather is arriving before Presidents’ Day.


Dharna Noor, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Feb. 2023





The new normal of hybrid working has upsides and downsides.


Tristan Bove, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2022





The new normal of work from remote locations has profoundly impacted the role of a CISO.


Sriram Tarikere, Forbes, 5 July 2022





As the workforce returns to the office, revenue-generating teams can’t go back to the old normal of mass, generic outreach.


Kris Rudeegraap, Forbes, 16 June 2021





Along with a return to the new normal comes a need for travelers to recapture that vibe that accompanies certain destinations.


Michael Alpiner, Forbes, 10 May 2021



See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘normal.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Other forms: normals

If something conforms to a general pattern, standard, or average, we describe it as normal, but of course that standard can change over time. What’s normal today may be «abnormal» in the future.

The word normal comes from a Latin word normalis, which described something made with a carpenter’s square. Something built this way would be normed to have angles that were perfectly aligned and fit a general pattern. This meaning eventually gave us the broader sense of fitting a pattern, standard, or average. Doctors like you to be a normal weight for your height, so you may need to grow taller to make your doctor happy.

Definitions of normal

  1. adjective

    being approximately average or within certain limits in e.g. intelligence and development

    “a perfectly
    normal child”

    “of
    normal intelligence”

    “the most
    normal person I’ve ever met”

  2. adjective

    conforming with or constituting a norm or standard or level or type or social norm; not abnormal

    normal diplomatic relations”

    normal working hours”

    normal word order”

    normal curiosity”

    “the
    normal course of events”

    Synonyms:

    average, mean

    approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value

    average, median

    relating to or constituting the middle value of an ordered set of values (or the average of the middle two in a set with an even number of values)

    average, modal

    relating to or constituting the most frequent value in a distribution

    natural

    functioning or occurring in a normal way; lacking abnormalities or deficiencies

    regular

    not deviating from what is normal

    typical

    conforming to a type

    sane

    mentally healthy; free from mental disorder

    standard

    conforming to or constituting a standard of measurement or value; or of the usual or regularized or accepted kind

  3. adjective

    in accordance with scientific laws

  4. noun

    something regarded as a normative example

    synonyms:

    convention, formula, pattern, rule

    see moresee less

    types:

    show 6 types…
    hide 6 types…
    mores

    (sociology) the conventions that embody the fundamental values of a group

    code of behavior, code of conduct

    a set of conventional principles and expectations that are considered binding on any person who is a member of a particular group

    universal

    a behavioral convention or pattern characteristic of all members of a particular culture or of all human beings

    courtly love

    (Middle Ages) a highly conventionalized code of conduct for lovers

    knight errantry

    (Middle Ages) the code of conduct observed by a knight errant who is wandering in search of deeds of chivalry

    protocol

    code of correct conduct

    type of:

    practice

    knowledge of how something is usually done

  5. adjective

    forming a right angle

    Synonyms:

    perpendicular

    intersecting at or forming right angles

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘normal’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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Suggestions:
work normally


These examples may contain rude words based on your search.


These examples may contain colloquial words based on your search.


Each patient is an individual, so the word «normal» does not apply.



Каждый случай индивидуален, так что слово «принято» неуместно в данном случае.


The word «normal» is one of them.


But in the modern world the word «normal» is barely comprehensible.


The word «normal» is deceptively simple.


The word «normal» is what’s crazy to me.


I always laugh when I say the word «normal» now.


The word «normal» applies to testosterone levels in many different ways.



Слово «нормальный» в отношении уровня тестостерона трактуется самым различным образом.


Ms. Chanet said that the meaning of the word «normal» in the first sentence was not clear.



Г-жа Шане говорит, что неясно значение слова «нормальный» в первом предложении.


Can we stop using the word «normal«?


I have a somewhat weird obsession with the word «normal


The original text does not contain the word «normal


«b The word»Normal» in the pressure relief requirements column indicates that a frangible disc as specified in 6.7.3.7.3 is not required.».



«Ь Слово»Обычные» в колонке требований в отношении устройств для сброса давления указывает на то, что разрывная мембрана, описанная в пункте 6.7.3.7.3, не требуется».


Because in English everything is different — the word «normal» means «medium» or «not strange».



Normal (нормально) по-английски означает «средний» или «не странный».


The prefix nor- is derived as an abbreviation of the word «normal«, used to indicate a demethylated compound.



Префикс нор- образован от слова «нормальный» и используется для указания деметилированного соединения.


Ms. Wedgwood suggested that the word «normal» in the fourth sentence should be replaced by the word «civilian».



Г-жа Веджвуд предлагает заменить в четвертом предложении слово «нормальный» словом «гражданский».


Second, never use words that show pity or fear of people with disabilities, and never use the word «normal» in contrast.



Во-вторых, никогда не используйте слова, которые показывают жалость или страх перед людьми с ограниченными возможностями, и никогда не использовать слово «нормальный«.


The footnote will read as follows: «a When the word» Normal» is indicated, all the requirements of 6.7.2.8 apply except for 6.7.2.8.3.».



Соответствующую сноску читать следующим образом: «а В случаях, когда указано слово» Обычные«, применяются все требования подраздела 6.7.2.8, за исключением пункта 6.7.2.8.3».


I removed the word «normal» from our vocabulary and I chose to not see my son as a problem to be fixed.



Я перестала использовать в речи слово «нормальный» и рассматривать сына как проблему, которую необходимо решить.


Maria Zakharova: First, the problem is that we are using the word «normal» less often in this context.



Ответ: Во-первых, проблема в том, что мы в данном контексте всё реже употребляем слово «нормально».

No results found for this meaning.

Results: 794. Exact: 22. Elapsed time: 342 ms.

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Conjugation

Synonyms

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Word index: 1-300, 301-600, 601-900

Expression index: 1-400, 401-800, 801-1200

Phrase index: 1-400, 401-800, 801-1200

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin normālis (made according to a carpenter’s square; later: according to a rule), from nōrma (carpenter’s square), of uncertain origin.[1][2][3][4] The earliest use of the word in English was to mean «perpendicular; forming a right angle» like something normālis (made according to a carpenter’s square),[1][5] but by Late Latin normālis had also come to mean «according to a rule», from which modern English senses of the word derive:[5] in the 1800s, as people began to quantitatively study things like height and weight and blood pressure, the usual or most common values came to be referred to as «normal», and by extension values regarded as healthy or desirable came to be called «normal» regardless of their usuality.[6]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈnɔːml̩/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈnɔɹm(ə)l/
  • Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)məl
  • Hyphenation: norm‧al

Adjective[edit]

normal (comparative normaler or more normal, superlative normalest or most normal)

  1. According to norms or rules or to a regular pattern.

    Organize the data into third normal form.

    • 2007, Steven Wilson, «Normal», Porcupine Tree, Nil Recurring.

      Prescription drugs, they help me through the day
      And that restraining order keeps me well at bay
      And what’s normal now, anyway?

    • 2014, Michael Rush, Politics & Society, Routledge, →ISBN, page 210:

      In other words, although the legal processes were observed, it was not a normal transfer of power within each of the ruling communist parties. [] Demonstrations of the sort that brought about the collapse of the communist regimes in Eastern Europe were not normal, and where attempts had previously been made to hold them, they were invariably suppressed by force.

    1. (mathematics) Adhering to or being what is considered natural or regular in a particular field or context:
      1. (number theory, of a real number) In whose representation in a given base b ≥ 2, for every positive integer n, the bn possible strings of n digits follow a uniform distribution.

        A number whose individual digits in a given base representation follow a uniform distribution is said to be simply normal.

        A number that is normal for every base b ≥ 2 is said to be absolutely normal.

      2. (algebra, of a subgroup) With cosets which form a group.
      3. (algebra, of a field extension of a field K) Which is the splitting field of a family of polynomials in K.
      4. (probability theory, statistics, of a distribution) Which has a very specific bell curve shape; that is or has the qualities of a normal distribution.
      5. (probability theory, statistics, of a random variable, etc.) Which has a normal distribution; which is associated with a random variable that has a normal distribution.
      6. (complex analysis, of a family of continuous functions) Which is pre-compact.
      7. (set theory, of a function from the ordinals to the ordinals) Which is strictly monotonically increasing and continuous with respect to the order topology.
      8. (linear algebra, of a matrix) Which commutes with its conjugate transpose.
      9. (functional analysis, of a Hilbert space operator) Which commutes with its adjoint.
      10. (category theory) Being (as a morphism) or containing (as a category) only normal epimorphism(s) or monomorphism(s), that is, those which are the kernel or cokernel of some morphism, respectively.
      11. (topology, of a topology) In which disjoint closed sets can be separated by disjoint neighborhoods.
  2. Usual, healthy; not sick or ill or unlike oneself.

    John is feeling normal again.

  3. (education, of a school) teaching teachers how to teach (to certain norms)

    My grandmother attended Mankato State Normal School.

  4. (chemistry) Of, relating to, or being a solution containing one equivalent weight of solute per litre of solution.
  5. (organic chemistry) Describing a straight chain isomer of an aliphatic hydrocarbon, or an aliphatic compound in which a substituent is in the 1- position of such a hydrocarbon.
  6. (physics, of a mode in an oscillating system) In which all parts of an object vibrate at the same frequency (see normal mode).
  7. (rail transport, of points) In the default position, set for the most frequently used route.
  8. (geometry) Perpendicular to a tangent of a curve or derivative of a surface.
    The interior normal vector of an ideal perfect sphere will always point toward the center, and the exterior normal vector directly away, and both will always be co-linear with the ray whose’ tip ends at the point of intersection, which is the intersection of all three sets of points.

Usage notes[edit]

  • When used to describe a group of people, normal can be understood as meaning that those not part of the group are strange or freakish. Its usage can therefore be understood as offensive to those it excludes.

Synonyms[edit]

  • (usual): conventional, customary, ordinary, standard, usual, regular, routine, average, expected, natural, typical, everyday, common, commonplace, general
  • (healthy): hale, healthy, well
  • (perpendicular): at right angles to, perpendicular, orthogonal
  • (statistics): Gaussian, standard normal

Antonyms[edit]

  • (usual): unconventional, nonstandard, unusual, special
  • (healthy): ill, poorly (British), sick, unwell
  • (perpendicular): tangential
  • (rail transport): reverse

Derived terms[edit]

  • abnormal
  • centinormal
  • conormal
  • have a normal one
  • millinormal
  • new normal
  • normal form
  • normal school
  • normal vector
  • normalcy
  • normalise, normalize
  • normality
  • normally
  • orthonormal
  • paranormal
  • subnormal
  • supernormal
  • ultranormal

[edit]

  • norm

Translations[edit]

according to norms or rules

  • Arabic: عَادِيّ(ʕādiyy)
  • Bulgarian: нормален (bg) (normalen)
  • Catalan: normal (ca)
  • Chinese:
    Cantonese: 正常 (zing3 soeng4)
    Mandarin: 正常 (zh) (zhèngcháng), 通常 (zh) (tōngcháng), 常態常态 (zh) (chángtài de)
  • Czech: normální (cs)
  • Danish: normal (da), almindelig (da)
  • Dutch: normaal (nl)
  • Estonian: normaalne
  • Finnish: säännönmukainen (fi)
  • French: normal (fr)
  • Galician: normal (gl)
  • German: normal (de)
  • Greek: φυσιολογικός (el) (fysiologikós)
  • Hebrew: נורמלי‎ m (normáli)
  • Hungarian: rendes (hu), normál (hu)
  • Ido: normala (io)
  • Italian: normale (it)
  • Japanese: 正常 (ja) (せいじょう, seijō), 通常 (ja) (つうじょう, tsūjō), 常態 (ja) (じょうたい, jōtai)
  • Latin: normalis
  • Latvian: normāls, parasts
  • Macedonian: нормален (normalen)
  • Maltese: normali m
  • Moroccan Amazigh: ⵓⵏⵣⵉⵍ (unzil), ⴰⵎⴰⴳⵏⵓ (amagnu)
  • Old English: ġewunelīċ
  • Persian: نرمال (fa) (normâl)
  • Polish: normalny (pl)
  • Portuguese: normal (pt) n
  • Romanian: normal (ro)
  • Russian: норма́льный (ru) (normálʹnyj)
  • Spanish: normal (es)
  • Swedish: normal (sv)
  • Thai: ธรรมดา (th) (tam-má-daa), ปกติ (th) (bpà-gà-dtì), ปรกติ (th) (bpròk-gà-dtì)
  • Ukrainian: норма́льний (normálʹnyj)
  • Yiddish: נאָרמאַל(normal)

usual, ordinary

  • Albanian: please add this translation if you can
  • Arabic: عَادِيّ(ʕādiyy), طَبِيعِيّ (ar) (ṭabīʕiyy)
  • Armenian: հասարակ (hy) (hasarak), նորմալ (hy) (normal)
  • Bulgarian: обикновен (bg) (obiknoven)
  • Catalan: normal (ca)
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 正常 (zh) (zhèngcháng)
  • Czech: normální (cs)
  • Dutch: normaal (nl), normale (nl), gewoon (nl), gewone (nl)
  • Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
  • Estonian: harilik
  • Finnish: säännöllinen (fi)
  • French: normal (fr), ordinaire (fr)
  • Galician: normal (gl)
  • Georgian: please add this translation if you can
  • German: normal (de)
  • Greek: φυσιολογικός (el) (fysiologikós)
  • Haitian Creole: nòmal
  • Hebrew: רגיל (he) m (ragíl)
  • Hindi: साधारण (hi) (sādhāraṇ), ठीक (hi) (ṭhīk)
  • Hungarian: rendes (hu), szokványos (hu), szokásos (hu), megszokott (hu), mindennapos (hu), átlagos (hu)
  • Icelandic: venjulegur (is), eðlilegur (is)
  • Indonesian: normal (id), biasa (id)
  • Irish: normálta, gnáth-, gnách
  • Italian: normale (it)
  • Japanese: 普通 (ja) (ふつう, futsū)
  • Kazakh: қалыпты (qalypty)
  • Khmer: ធម្មតា (km) (tʰoammeaʔdaa)
  • Korean: 정상의 (ko) (jeongsang-ui)
  • Latvian: parasts, ierasts, pierasts, normāls
  • Lithuanian: please add this translation if you can
  • Maori: pūnoa
  • Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
  • Nepali: ठीक (ṭhīk), साधारण (sādhāraṇ)
  • Norwegian: normal (no), ordinær (no), vanlig (no), alminnelig (no)
  • Old English: ġewunelīċ
  • Persian: نرمال (fa) (normâl)
  • Polish: normalny (pl), zwykły (pl), zwyczajny (pl)
  • Portuguese: normal (pt)
  • Romanian: obișnuit (ro), normal (ro), uzual (ro)
  • Russian: норма́льный (ru) (normálʹnyj), обыкнове́нный (ru) (obyknovénnyj), обы́чный (ru) (obýčnyj)
  • Sanskrit: सामान्य (sa) (sāmānya)
  • Spanish: normal (es)
  • Swedish: normal (sv)
  • Thai: ธรรมดา (th) (tam-má-daa), ปกติ (th) (bpà-gà-dtì), ปรกติ (th) (bpròk-gà-dtì)
  • Tibetan: རྒྱུན་ཆགས (rgyun chags), རྒྱུན་འཇགས (rgyun ‘jags), རྒྱུན་གཏན (rgyun gtan), རྒྱུན་ཚུགས (rgyun tshugs), རྒྱུན་འཛུགས (rgyun ‘dzugs)
  • Turkish: normal (tr), olağan (tr)
  • Ukrainian: норма́льний (normálʹnyj)
  • Vietnamese: bình thường (vi)
  • Yiddish: נאָרמאַל(normal)

healthy; not sick or ill

  • Armenian: նորմալ (hy) (normal)
  • Catalan: normal (ca)
  • Czech: normální (cs)
  • Danish: rask (da)
  • Finnish: normaali (fi)
  • Hungarian: jól (hu)
  • Indonesian: normal (id), sehat (id)
  • Persian: نرمال (fa) (normâl)
  • Spanish: normal (es), bien (es), sano (es)
  • Swedish: normal (sv)

of points: in the default position

  • Catalan: normal (ca)

Noun[edit]

normal (countable and uncountable, plural normals)

  1. (geometry) A line or vector that is perpendicular to another line, surface, or plane.
  2. (medicine, countable) A person who is healthy, normal, as opposed to one who is morbid.
    • 2014, Ahmet Celik, Edibe Saricicek, Vahap Saricicek, Elif Sahin, Gokhan Ozdemir, Metin Kilinc, Ayten Oguz, Relation between the new anthropometric obesity parameters and inflammatory markers in healthy adult men[1], SCIRJ:

      Subjects were grouped as Group 1 and Group 2 according to VAI, and normals, overweights and obeses according to BMI.

  3. (slang, countable) A person who is normal, who fits into mainstream society, as opposed to those who live alternative lifestyles.
  4. (countable, uncountable) The usual state.

    His workload is now back to normal.

    Heavy workload is the new normal.

Synonyms[edit]

  • (normal person): see Thesaurus:mainstreamer

Translations[edit]

mathematics: a line perpendicular to another

  • Armenian: նորմալ (hy) (normal)
  • Bulgarian: перпендикуляр m (perpendikuljar)
  • Catalan: normal (ca)
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 法線法线 (zh) (fǎxiàn)
  • Dutch: normaal (nl) f, loodlijn (nl) f
  • Estonian: normaal
  • Finnish: normaali (fi)
  • French: normale (fr) f
  • German: Normale (de) f
  • Greek: κάθετος (el) f (káthetos)
  • Hungarian: merőleges (hu)
  • Irish: normal m
  • Japanese: 法線 (ほうせん,hōsen)
  • Korean: 법선 (beopseon)
  • Latvian: perpendikuls m, normāle f
  • Maori: rārangi hāngai
  • Portuguese: normal (pt) f
  • Russian: норма́ль (ru) f (normálʹ)
  • Spanish: normal (es) f
  • Swedish: normal (sv) c

person who fits in

  • Polish: normik m pers

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 “normal”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
  2. ^ “normal”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
  3. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “normal”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
  4. ^ “normal”, in The Century Dictionary [], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
  5. 5.0 5.1 The Merriam-Webster New Book of Word Histories (1991, →ISBN), age 321
  6. ^ Brent Davis, Dennis Sumara, Complexity and Education (2014, →ISBN)

Anagrams[edit]

  • Marlon, Molnar, Morlan

Asturian[edit]

Adjective[edit]

normal (epicene, plural normales)

  1. normal

Catalan[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From French normal.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (Balearic, Valencian) IPA(key): /noɾˈmal/
  • (Central) IPA(key): /nurˈmal/

Adjective[edit]

normal (masculine and feminine plural normals)

  1. normal
    Antonym: anormal

Derived terms[edit]

  • normalitat
  • normalment

Further reading[edit]

  • “normal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
  • “normal”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
  • “normal” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
  • “normal” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Latin nōrmālis. Synchronically analysable as norme +‎ -al.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /nɔʁ.mal/

Adjective[edit]

normal (feminine normale, masculine plural normaux, feminine plural normales)

  1. normal (according to norms, usual)
  2. (relational) normal (relating to a school to teach teachers how to teach)
  3. okay, alright
    Antonym: anormal

Derived terms[edit]

  • école normale supérieure
  • en temps normal
  • heure normale de l’est
  • loi normale
  • normalement
  • normalisation
  • normaliser
  • normalité
  • supernormal
  • ultranormal

[edit]

  • norme

Further reading[edit]

  • “normal”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

German[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /nɔrˈmaːl/, [nɔʁˈmaːl], [nɔɐ̯-], [nɔ-], [no-]
  • Rhymes: -aːl

Adjective[edit]

normal (strong nominative masculine singular normaler, comparative normaler, superlative am normalsten)

  1. ordinary, normal
    völlig normal.completely normal.

Declension[edit]

Comparative forms of normal

Superlative forms of normal

Derived terms[edit]

  • normalerweise
  • stinknormal

Adverb[edit]

normal

  1. (standard) ordinarily, normally, in a normal fashion

    Er hat sich ganz normal benommen.

    He behaved quite normally.
  2. (colloquial) Alternative form of normalerweise: usually, normally, in general

    Normal geh ich früh ins Bett.

    I normally go to bed early.

Interjection[edit]

normal

  1. (colloquial) sure, of course, obviously; usually implies that something is trivial

    Du hast mit zwölf schon geraucht? ― Normal.

    You already smoked at twelve? ― Sure.

Further reading[edit]

  • “normal” in Duden online
  • “normal” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Hunsrik[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /norˈmaːl/

Adjective[edit]

normal

  1. normal

Declension[edit]

Declension of normal
masculine feminine neuter plural
Weak inflection nominative normal normal normal normale
accusative normale normal normal normale
dative normale normale normale normale
Strong inflection nominative normaler normale normales normale
accusative normale normale normales normale
dative normalem normaler normalem normale

Further reading[edit]

  • Online Hunsrik Dictionary

Interlingua[edit]

Adjective[edit]

normal (comparative plus normal, superlative le plus normal)

  1. normal
    Antonym: anormal

Irish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowing from English normal.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˈn̪ˠɔɾˠ(ə)mˠəlˠ/

Noun[edit]

normal m (genitive singular normail, nominative plural normail)

  1. (geometry, statistics, chemistry) normal

Declension[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

  • aonadnormal m (unit normal)
  • normalach (normal, adjective)
  • normalacht f (normality)

Further reading[edit]

  • Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “normal”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
  • “normal”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013–2023

Ladin[edit]

Adjective[edit]

normal m (feminine singular normala, masculine plural normai, feminine plural normales)

  1. normal

Norwegian Bokmål[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin normālis.

Adjective[edit]

normal (neuter singular normalt, definite singular and plural normale)

  1. normal, ordinary
    Antonym: unormal

Derived terms[edit]

  • normalspor, normalsporet
  • normaltid

References[edit]

  • “normal” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin normālis.

Adjective[edit]

normal (neuter singular normalt, definite singular and plural normale)

  1. normal, ordinary
    Antonym: unormal

Derived terms[edit]

  • normalspor
  • normaltid

References[edit]

  • “normal” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Portuguese[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Learned borrowing from Latin normālis. By surface analysis, norma +‎ -al.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (Brazil) IPA(key): /noʁˈmaw/ [noɦˈmaʊ̯]
    • (São Paulo) IPA(key): /noɾˈmaw/ [noɾˈmaʊ̯]
    • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA(key): /noʁˈmaw/ [noʁˈmaʊ̯]
    • (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /noɻˈmaw/ [noɻˈmaʊ̯]
  • (Portugal) IPA(key): /nɔɾˈmal/ [nɔɾˈmaɫ]
  • (Northeast Brazil) IPA(key): [nɔɦˈmaw]
  • (Rural Central Brazil) IPA(key): [nuɹˈmaw]
  • Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
  • Hyphenation: nor‧mal

Adjective[edit]

normal m or f (plural normais)

  1. normal, standard, regular
  2. (geometry) normal (perpendicular to a tangent of a curve or derivative of a surface)

Derived terms[edit]

  • normalizar
  • normalmente

[edit]

  • norma
  • anormal

Romanian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from French normal, from Latin normālis.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /norˈmal/

Adjective[edit]

normal m or n (feminine singular normală, masculine plural normali, feminine and neuter plural normale)

  1. normal

[edit]

  • normalitate

Adverb[edit]

normal

  1. normally
  2. of course, obviously
    Synonyms: evident, logic

    Normal că mi-e foame.

    Of course I’m hungry.

Spanish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin nōrmālis.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /noɾˈmal/ [noɾˈmal]
  • Rhymes: -al
  • Syllabification: nor‧mal

Adjective[edit]

normal (plural normales)

  1. normal, standard, regular, fine
    Synonyms: regular, común
    Antonyms: anormal, raro, poco común

    A mi me parece normal.

    It seems fine to me.
  2. (geometry) perpendicular
    Synonym: perpendicular
    Antonyms: oblicuo, paralelo

Derived terms[edit]

  • distribución normal
  • escuela normal
  • leche normal
  • norma
  • normal y corriente
  • normalidad
  • normalista
  • refresco normal

Noun[edit]

normal f (plural normales)

  1. (education) a school for becoming a teacher

Further reading[edit]

  • “normal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014

Swedish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin nōrmālis, from nōrma + -ālis, equivalent to norm +‎ -al.

Pronunciation[edit]

Adjective[edit]

normal (comparative normalare, superlative normalast)

  1. normal
    Antonyms: abnorm, onaturlig, onormal, sjuklig

Declension[edit]

Inflection of normal
Indefinite Positive Comparative Superlative2
Common singular normal normalare normalast
Neuter singular normalt normalare normalast
Plural normala normalare normalast
Masculine plural3 normale normalare normalast
Definite Positive Comparative Superlative
Masculine singular1 normale normalare normalaste
All normala normalare normalaste
1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.
2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative.
3) Dated or archaic

[edit]

  • normalisera

Noun[edit]

normal c

  1. (geometry) a normal (a line which is perpendicular to another line or to a surface)
    Antonym: tangent

Declension[edit]

Declension of normal 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative normal normalen normaler normalerna
Genitive normals normalens normalers normalernas

References[edit]

  • normal in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Tagalog[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Spanish normal.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • Hyphenation: nor‧mal
  • IPA(key): /noɾˈmal/, [noɾˈmal]
  • IPA(key): /ˈnoɾmal/, [ˈnoɾ.mɐl]

Adjective[edit]

normal

  1. normal
    Synonyms: karaniwan, regular

Derived terms[edit]

  • abnormal
  • abnormalidad
  • normalidad

Turkish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From French normal, from Latin nōrmālis.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /noɾˈmɑl/

Adjective[edit]

normal

  1. normal
  2. regular
  3. usual

Declension[edit]

predicative forms of normal

present tense
positive,
declarative
positive,
interrogative
negative,
declarative
negative,
interrogative
ben (I am) normalim normal miyim? normal değilim normal değil miyim?
sen (you are) normalsin normal misin? normal değilsin normal değil misin?
o (he/she/it is) normal / normaldir normal mi? normal değil normal değil mi?
biz (we are) normaliz normal miyiz? normal değiliz normal değil miyiz?
siz (you are) normalsiniz normal misiniz? normal değilsiniz normal değil misiniz?
onlar (they are) normal(ler) normal(ler) mi? normal değil(ler) normal değiller mi?
past tense
positive,
declarative
positive,
interrogative
negative,
declarative
negative,
interrogative
ben (I was) normaldim normal miydim? normal değildim normal değil miydim?
sen (you were) normaldin normal miydin? normal değildin normal değil miydin?
o (he/she/it was) normaldi normal miydi? normal değildi normal değil miydi?
biz (we were) normaldik normal miydik? normal değildik normal değil miydik?
siz (you were) normaldiniz normal miydiniz? normal değildiniz normal değil miydiniz?
onlar (they were) normaldiler normal miydiler? normal değildi(ler) / değillerdi normal değil miydiler?
indirect past
positive,
declarative
positive,
interrogative
negative,
declarative
negative,
interrogative
ben (I was) normalmişim normal miymişim? normal değilmişim normal değil miymişim?
sen (you were) normalmişsin normal miymişsin? normal değilmişsin normal değil miymişsin?
o (he/she/it was) normalmiş normal miymiş? normal değilmiş normal değil miymiş?
biz (we were) normalmişiz normal miymişiz? normal değilmişiz normal değil miymişiz?
siz (you were) normalmişsiniz normal miymişsiniz? normal değilmişsiniz normal değil miymişsiniz?
onlar (they were) normalmişler normal miymişler? normal değilmiş(ler) / değillermiş normal değil miymişler?
conditional
positive,
declarative
positive,
interrogative
negative,
declarative
negative,
interrogative
ben (if I) normalsem normal miysem? normal değilsem normal değil miysem?
sen (if you) normalsen normal miysen? normal değilsen normal değil miysen?
o (if he/she/it) normalse normal miyse? normal değilse normal değil miyse?
biz (if we) normalsek normal miysek? normal değilsek normal değil miysek?
siz (if you) normalseniz normal miyseniz? normal değilseniz normal değil miyseniz?
onlar (if they) normalseler normal miyseler? normal değilseler / değillerse normal değil miyseler?

Noun[edit]

normal (definite accusative normali, uncountable)

  1. normal (usual state)
  2. standard

Declension[edit]

Inflection
Nominative normal
Definite accusative normali
Singular Plural
Nominative normal
Definite accusative normali
Dative normale
Locative normalde
Ablative normalden
Genitive normalin

Derived terms[edit]

  • normalleştirmek
  • normalleşmek

  • Top Definitions
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  • Related Content
  • Examples
  • British

This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.

[ nawr-muhl ]

/ ˈnɔr məl /

This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.


adjective

conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural.

serving to establish a standard.

Psychology.

  1. approximately average in any psychological trait, as intelligence, personality, or emotional adjustment.
  2. free from any mental disorder; sane.

Biology, Medicine/Medical.

  1. free from any infection or other form of disease or malformation, or from experimental therapy or manipulation.
  2. of natural occurrence.

Mathematics.

  1. being at right angles, as a line; perpendicular.
  2. of the nature of or relating to a mathematical normal.
  3. (of an orthogonal system of real functions) defined so that the integral of the square of the absolute value of any function is 1.
  4. (of a topological space) having the property that corresponding to every pair of disjoint closed sets are two disjoint open sets, each containing one of the closed sets.
  5. (of a set) having the property that the same set results when all the elements of the set are operated on consistently on the left and consistently on the right by any element of the set; invariant.

Chemistry.

  1. (of a solution) containing one equivalent weight of the constituent in question in one liter of solution.
  2. relating to an aliphatic hydrocarbon having a straight unbranched carbon chain, each carbon atom of which is joined to no more than two other carbon atoms.
  3. of or relating to a neutral salt in which any replaceable hydroxyl groups or hydrogen atoms have been replaced by other groups or atoms, as sodium sulfate, Na2SO4.

noun

the standard or the common type.

the usual state, amount, level, etc., especially the average or mean: Production may fall below normal.

Mathematics.

  1. a perpendicular line or plane, especially one perpendicular to a tangent line of a curve, or a tangent plane of a surface, at the point of contact.
  2. the portion of this perpendicular line included between its point of contact with the curve and the x-axis.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Which sentence is correct?

Origin of normal

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin normālis “made according to a carpenter’s square,” equivalent to norm(a) (see norm) + -ālis adjective suffix; see -al1

OTHER WORDS FROM normal

nor·mal·i·ty [nawr-mal-i-tee] /nɔrˈmæl ɪ ti/ noun, plural nor·mal·i·ties.nor·mal·ness, nounan·ti·nor·mal, adjectivehalf-nor·mal, adjective

hy·per·nor·mal, adjectivenon·nor·mal, adjectiveo·ver·nor·mal, adjectivequa·si-nor·mal, adjectivequa·si-nor·mal·ly, adverbsem·i·nor·mal, adjectivesem·i·nor·mal·ly, adverbun·nor·mal, adjectiveun·nor·mal·ly, adverb

Words nearby normal

norite, nork, norland, norm, Norma, normal, normal curve, normalcy, normal distribution, normal distribution curve, normal divisor

Other definitions for normal (2 of 2)

Normal

[ nawr-muhl ]

/ ˈnɔr məl /


noun

a city in central Illinois.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to normal

natural, orderly, ordinary, regular, routine, traditional, typical, cool, healthy, reasonable, well-adjusted, whole, average, commonplace, general, mean, median, standard, right, sound

How to use normal in a sentence

  • In more normal times, people already struggled to take time off from work, polling machines broke down, and it was hard for many to even get to the polls.

  • Allowing the flow of water through coastal areas to return to normal seems key.

  • The crowded bar scene is likely one of the last things that will go “back to normal” after the pandemic.

  • Everyone wants to know what the new normal will be like for everything.

  • During this time, commuters couldn’t take their normal routes—they were forced to use other subway stops to get to work.

  • Something like fluoride, which is too small for normal filters, yanks away that feeling of agency.

  • Carlisle writes that the Air Force would want a crew ratio of 10 to one for each drone orbit during normal everyday operations.

  • He appears only normal, even in video footage from just two minutes before the shooting.

  • The flight path remained close to the Indonesian archipelago, well within what is the normal reach of air traffic control radar.

  • Six months of sterility results, after which normal fertility returns.

  • In the early stages of chronic nephritis, when diagnosis is difficult, it is usually normal.

  • Walls End Castle, when the party broke up, returned to its normal state.

  • No trait is better marked in the normal child than the impulse to subject others to his own disciplinary system.

  • It is often present in the respiratory tract under normal conditions.

  • Then, inexplicably, he shifted to the other side that the old, the normal Tom presented generously to the new.

British Dictionary definitions for normal


adjective

usual; regular; common; typicalthe normal way of doing it; the normal level

constituting a standardif we take this as normal

psychol

  1. being within certain limits of intelligence, educational success or ability, etc
  2. conforming to the conventions of one’s group

biology med (of laboratory animals) maintained in a natural state for purposes of comparison with animals treated with drugs, etc

chem (of a solution) containing a number of grams equal to the equivalent weight of the solute in each litre of solventSymbol: N

chem denoting a straight-chain hydrocarbon: a normal alkane . Prefix: n-, e.g. n- octane

noun

the usual, average, or typical state, degree, form, etc

anything that is normal

geometry a line or plane perpendicular to another line or plane or to the tangent of a curved line or plane at the point of contact

Derived forms of normal

normality (nɔːˈmælɪtɪ) or esp US normalcy, noun

Word Origin for normal

C16: from Latin normālis conforming to the carpenter’s square, from norma norm

Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


Asked by: Keven Brown

Score: 4.2/5
(57 votes)

Normal comes from the Latin word norma which refers to a carpenter’s square, or T-square. Building off the Latin, normal first meant “perpendicular” or “at right angles.”

What is the root word of normal?

The word normal comes from a Latin word normalis, which described something made with a carpenter’s square. Something built this way would be normed to have angles that were perfectly aligned and fit a general pattern. This meaning eventually gave us the broader sense of fitting a pattern, standard, or average.

Why is the normal line called The normal?

But on reading the etymology note in the entry for «normal» in the American Heritage Dictionary, Middle English, from Late Latin normalis, from Latin, made according to the square, from norma, carpenter’s square; I thought that was probably it — it probably came from the perpendicular sides of a carpenter’s square.

Where does the word regular come from?

The word regular comes from the Latin regularis, «continuing rules for guidance,» which in turn has its roots in regula, or «rule.»

What is the true definition of normal?

1a : conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern : characterized by that which is considered usual, typical, or routine normal working hours under normal circumstances It was just a normal, average day. He had a normal childhood. Their reaction to the news was normal and expected.

41 related questions found

Who defines normal?

The anatomists and physiologists defined normal as what is not abnormal. The idea of the average as normal goes way back to 1713 to a Swiss mathematician named Jakob Bernoulli, who many consider to be the founder of modern day calculus and statistics.

Is it normal to be abnormal?

Instead, any specific abnormal behavior may be unusual, but it is not unusual for people to exhibit some form of prolonged abnormal behavior at some point in their lives, and mental disorders such as depression are actually very statistically common.

What is the noun of regularly?

regularity. (uncountable) The condition or quality of being regular. (countable) A particular regular occurrence.

What was a regular?

1a : constituted, conducted, scheduled, or done in conformity with established or prescribed usages, rules, or discipline. 2a : recurring, attending, or functioning at fixed, uniform, or normal intervals a regular income a regular churchgoer regular bowel movements. b : orderly, methodical regular habits.

What is the word family of regular?

Word family (noun) regular regularity ≠ irregularity regularization (adjective) regular ≠ irregular (verb) regularize (adverb) regularly ≠ irregularly.

What does normal to a plane mean?

In geometry, a normal is an object such as a line, ray, or vector that is perpendicular to a given object. For example, the normal line to a plane curve at a given point is the (infinite) line perpendicular to the tangent line to the curve at the point.

Does normal mean parallel?

A normal is an object such as a line or vector that is perpendicular to a given object. For example, in the two-dimensional case, the normal line to a curve at a given point is the line perpendicular to the tangent line to the curve at the point. If normal is 90 degree to the surface, that means normal is used in 3D.

What is the normal light?

A ray of light is incident on a totally reflecting surface (mirror) at a certain point. If we draw a line which is perpendicular to the reflecting surface at the point of incidence, this line is called the normal. As such it is an imaginary line perpendicular to the surface reflecting the light.

How do you say normal in British?

Below is the UK transcription for ‘normal’:

  1. Modern IPA: nóːməl.
  2. Traditional IPA: ˈnɔːməl.
  3. 2 syllables: «NAW» + «muhl»

How do you use the word normal?

Normal sentence example

  1. He was normal in that respect. …
  2. Such a normal thing seemed … …
  3. Yet the next morning he acted normal — even cheerful. …
  4. His mind was not in a normal state. …
  5. His eyes were closer to normal , swirling black spheres. …
  6. If he thought everything was normal , then it probably was.

What does duplicitous mean in English?

Duplicity comes from a Latin word meaning «double» or «twofold,» and its original meaning in English has to do with a kind of deception in which you intentionally hide your true feelings or intentions behind false words or actions.

What kind of word is regularly?

regularly adverb (REPEATEDLY)

What is the verb of regularly?

To dictate policy. To control or direct according to rule, principle, or law. To adjust to a particular specification or requirement: regulate temperature.

How can you tell if someone is abnormal?

When people do not follow the conventional social and moral rules of their society, the behavior is considered to be abnormal. (See Deviation from Social Norms) Observer discomfort. If a person’s behavior brings discomfort to those in observation, it is likely to be considered abnormal.

What is an abnormal personality?

normal means abiding by such a standard. It follows that a normal personality is one whose conduct coo- forms to an authoritative standard, and an abnormal personality is one whose conduct does not do so.

What are the six models of abnormality?

Contents

  • Biological (medical) model. 1.1 Evaluation of the biological (medical) model.
  • Behavioral model. 2.1 Evaluation of the behavioural model.
  • Cognitive model.
  • Psychodynamic model.

Who created normal?

The normal distribution is a probability distribution. It is also called Gaussian distribution because it was first discovered by Carl Friedrich Gauss. The normal distribution is a continuous probability distribution that is very important in many fields of science.

What are the characteristics of a normal person?

Characteristics

  • Openness to experience.
  • Lack of defensiveness.
  • The ability to interpret experiences accurately.
  • A flexible self-concept and the ability to change through experience.
  • The ability to trust one’s experiences and form values based on those experiences.
  • Unconditional self-regard.

How do we decide what is normal?

Deciding what is normal is usually based on statistics. A large group of people are tested, and normal is the result 95% of those people show. The number of people that are tested and who these people are will affect the results, so careful consideration needs to be given to these issues.

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I don’t feel I’m even worthy of a normal amount of value.

Todd Barry

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ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD NORMAL

From Latin normālis conforming to the carpenter’s square, from normanorm.

info

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

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PRONUNCIATION OF NORMAL

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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF NORMAL

Normal can act as a noun and an adjective.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The adjective is the word that accompanies the noun to determine or qualify it.

WHAT DOES NORMAL MEAN IN ENGLISH?


Definition of normal in the English dictionary

The first definition of normal in the dictionary is usual; regular; common; typical. Other definition of normal is constituting a standard. Normal is also being within certain limits of intelligence, educational success or ability, etc.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH NORMAL

Synonyms and antonyms of normal in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS OF «NORMAL»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «normal» and belong to the same grammatical category.

Translation of «normal» into 25 languages

online translator

TRANSLATION OF NORMAL

Find out the translation of normal to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of normal from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «normal» in English.

Translator English — Chinese


正常的

1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English — Spanish


normal

570 millions of speakers

English


normal

510 millions of speakers

Translator English — Hindi


सामान्य

380 millions of speakers

Translator English — Arabic


عَادِيّ

280 millions of speakers

Translator English — Russian


обычный

278 millions of speakers

Translator English — Portuguese


normal

270 millions of speakers

Translator English — Bengali


সাধারণ

260 millions of speakers

Translator English — French


normal

220 millions of speakers

Translator English — Malay


Normal

190 millions of speakers

Translator English — German


normal

180 millions of speakers

Translator English — Japanese


普通の

130 millions of speakers

Translator English — Korean


정상의

85 millions of speakers

Translator English — Javanese


Normal

85 millions of speakers

Translator English — Vietnamese


bình thường

80 millions of speakers

Translator English — Tamil


சாதாரண

75 millions of speakers

Translator English — Marathi


सामान्य

75 millions of speakers

Translator English — Turkish


normal

70 millions of speakers

Translator English — Italian


normale

65 millions of speakers

Translator English — Polish


normalny

50 millions of speakers

Translator English — Ukrainian


нормальний

40 millions of speakers

Translator English — Romanian


normal

30 millions of speakers

Translator English — Greek


ομαλός

15 millions of speakers

Translator English — Afrikaans


normale

14 millions of speakers

Translator English — Swedish


normal

10 millions of speakers

Translator English — Norwegian


normal

5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of normal

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «NORMAL»

The term «normal» is very widely used and occupies the 1.386 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.

Trends

FREQUENCY

Very widely used

The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «normal» in the different countries.

Principal search tendencies and common uses of normal

List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «normal».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «NORMAL» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «normal» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «normal» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about normal

10 QUOTES WITH «NORMAL»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word normal.

Melody has a certain way that it projects back to you. It triggers certain nerves in your body and certain instincts that normally wouldn’t be triggered by a normal voice.

When you’re pregnant you just want to be comfortable — but I wear more or less the same as I do when I’m not pregnant: pregnancy denim with normal tops and flat shoes. But when the belly starts to really stick out, I’ll want the floaty dresses!

I blush easily. I have difficulty meeting people’s eye, difficulty with public speaking, the normal afflictions of the shy, but not to a paralysing degree.

When you do what I’ve done — the normal Hollywood way, where you let people do things for you — and then you make certain choices where you have to learn to do it for yourself, which is how you should do it, it caused me to get way behind in stuff. I wouldn’t change a thing because it’s been a very important learning thing.

I don’t feel I’m even worthy of a normal amount of value.

I don’t think many people can say they’ve been the lead in a Spielberg film and still been able to live their normal life that they had before.

I often hear actors say during their interviews: ‘I want to play a crazy person, a murderer, or someone who’s on edge.’ But that question scares me. I mean, of course there are characters I’d like to play, but I can’t really say specifically who they are. It’s much too hard to play a convincing normal person as it is.

Kauai is kind of my place where I go to get centered. It’s always my place to come back and feel normal again.

Absolutely, it’s a really weird stage because at the minute, I can walk down the street and be unrecognised, lead a normal life, but my label and everybody is warning me that will be changing and I’m in for a rollercoaster ride.

You promote your films; it’s part of your job. You do the magazine covers and stuff, and then I try to live a really normal life. I definitely don’t try to make it into any more craziness than it is.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «NORMAL»

Discover the use of normal in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to normal and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

1

Saving Normal: An Insider’s Revolt against Out-of-Control …

From «the most powerful psychiatrist in America» (New York Times) and «the man who wrote the book on mental illness» (Wired), a deeply fascinating and urgently important critique of the widespread medicalization of normality Anyone living a …

2

Normal Accidents: Living with High Risk Technologies

» In the new afterword to this edition Perrow reviews the extensive work on the major accidents of the last fifteen years, including Bhopal, Chernobyl, and the Challenger disaster.

From the Hardcover edition.

Ten Miles Past Normal is a quirky road map for life—and also a reminder that detours are not about missing out, but about finding a new way home.

Frances O’Roark Dowell, 2011

5

Super normal: sensations of the ordinary

The super normal is already lying exposed before us; it exists in the here and now; it is real and available: we need only open our eyes; Fukasawa and Morrison make it visible for us.

Naoto Fukasawa, Jasper Morrison, 2007

6

Emotions of Normal People

First published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

William Moulton Marston, 1928

Most of us will relate. Praise for Attempting Normal “I laughed so hard reading this book.”—David Sedaris “Funny . . . surprisingly deep . . . laced with revelatory insights.”—Los Angeles Times “Superb . . .

This is a thoughtful, wry story about two girls—a «punk» and a «priss»—who find themselves facing each other in a peer-counseling program, and discover that they have some surprising things in common.

To misquote Dickens, this is the best of times, this is the worst of times. The intervening years have seen developments on a broad front, many of which are taken up in this volume.

10

Pretending to be Normal: Living with Asperger’s Syndrome

Pretending to be Normal tells the story of a woman who, after years of self-doubt and self-denial, learned to embrace her Asperger’s syndrome traits with thanksgiving and joy.

Liane Holliday Willey, 1999

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «NORMAL»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term normal is used in the context of the following news items.

Mitsubishi closing Normal plant, ending U.S. production

Mitsubishi Motors will stop making vehicles at its Normal, Ill., plant and will try to sell the facility only four years after receiving incentives from … «Chicago Tribune, Jul 15»

Miranda Lambert trying to ‘get back to normal‘ after divorce

“She’s really trying to get back to normal, and I think being onstage is a part of that,” we’re told. Though “nervous at first,” Lambert surprised her … «Page Six, Jul 15»

High CAC Often Overlooked if Nuclear Stress Test Is Normal

LAS VEGAS, NV — An incidental finding of a high coronary artery calcium (CAC) score (>300 Agatston units) despite a normal myocardial … «Medscape, Jul 15»

Kylie Jenner Thanks Mom Kris in Her Surprisingly Normal and …

In case you missed it, Kylie Jenner graduated from high school earlier this week, which she was super proud of herself for doing. And why … «Seventeen Magazine, Jul 15»

Forget the ‘New Normal‘ — It’s All About the ‘New …

By Helen ThomasHelen Thomas has seen all sides of financial markets, from trading floors to hedge funds, think tanks to parliament, and now … «Foreign Policy, Jul 15»

Curfew relaxed in Jamshedpur, situation inches back to normal

While all schools and colleges remained closed today in view of the curfew, life inched back to normal during curfew relaxation as shops and … «Business Standard, Jul 15»

We will cut national debt to normal levels, says Noonan

We will cut national debt to normal levels, says Noonan. Peter Flanagan and John Downing. Published 24/07/2015 | 02:30. 0 Comments; Share. Facebook … «Irish Independent, Jul 15»

‘Kaun Kitne Paani Mein’ cast’s ‘normal activities’

‘Kaun Kitne Paani Mein’ cast’s ‘normal activities’. The cast of «Kaun Kitne Paani Mein» had to live the simple life while filming the movie, which … «The Indian Express, Jul 15»

Retrenchment of 10000 workers ‘normal‘, Riot says

PUTRAJAYA: The retrenchment of about 10,000 workers in Malaysia during the first six months of this year is a normal situation in a stable and … «The Star Online, Jul 15»

Corrections: death row almost back to normal

Corrections officials say the situation is almost back to normal on Mississippi’s death row, which has battled the lack of drinking water and … «Jackson Clarion Ledger, Jul 15»

REFERENCE

« EDUCALINGO. Normal [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/normal>. Apr 2023 ».

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Discover all that is hidden in the words on educalingo

“Normal” is a word we use in everyday conversation. Just this morning, as I made my coffee, I started thinking about this. Not long after I made my first cup, I made two more. When my partner noticed this, he said drinking three coffees before midday wasn’t normal. I sat there and thought about what he said for a moment. He didn’t realise that it actually is normal for me to have three coffees in the morning. Really, doing this just wasn’t normal for him. I wondered: What is considered to be normal differs from person to person. What is very normal for me, isn’t normal for somebody else. So why do we use this expression?  Why do we use the word “normal” as if everyone in the world universally agreed on it’s definition?  And what does “normal” actually mean?

The origins of the word 

I decided to investigate the history of the word a bit more, to understand why and how we use it. 

The word “normal” is derived from the Latin normalis, meaning “made according to a carpenter’s square, or forming a right angle”. According to Mirriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, in Late Latin, normalis was given many new meanings, including “according to rule” and  “according to, constituting, or not deviating from an established norm, rule, or principle.” In his dictionary The New World of English Words, author Edward Phillips defined “normal” in the 17th century as “done exactly, according to the rule, or square”. Reading through these historical definitions certainly gives us the impression that the word “normal” has transformed. While the original Latin meaning was only related to rules, the word “normal” had a more oppressive meaning by the 17th century. 

It made me wonder, how did the meaning of the word “normal” evolve from being factual, to describing an ideal state? 

Author Johnathan Mooney explains in his book Normal Sucks: How to Love, Learn, and Thrive Outside the Lines, that “normal” is “a word that masquerades as an ever-present universal truth.” He says when the word was first used in Latin, it had “nothing to do with people, or society, or human behaviour.” 

Norm, normal and normalis were words primarily used by Latin mathematicians. These were distinct words in geometry (especially normalis) to describe a right angle. Mooney explains that over time, it became “a universal mathematical truth” that a right angle is considered to be a perfect angle.  

According to Mooney, this is where the meaning of the word “normal” became “both a fact in the world and a judgement of what is right.”

Using the word “normal” was later adopted by academics in comparative anatomy and physiology. These academics studied the human body and used the term “normal state” to describe functioning organs and systems. 

Average = Perfect = Normal

In 1713, the Swiss mathematician Jakob Bernoulli (who many consider to be the founder of modern-day calculus and statistics) created the calculus of probabilities. This equation was then taken up by statistical thinker Aldophe Quetelet, who applied the equation to human beings. In 1835, Quetelet wanted to gather large amounts of statistical data to calculate the most commonly occurring features of the “average man”, but here’s the vital flaw of this plan — Quetelet believed his “average man” was also the perfect man (there’s that word again!).  

In his research, Quetelet used the words “normal”, “regular” and “average” interchangeably. In his mind, normal, average and regular all meant perfect. For the record, his research also excluded people with disabilities and people of colour. As Peter Cryle and Elizabeth Stephens wrote in their book, Normality: A Critical Genealogy, Quetelet’s work did “all that it could to reduce the gap between the actual and the normal/ideal.”

English statistician Francis Galton later updated statistical theory and created today’s concept of normality based on Quetelet’s work. Galton used this theory to create a new idea of normal that he thought everyone in society should be on board with.

Luckily for him, in the late 18th and early 19th century, his idea of normality was applied to the public health system, schools, the industrial economy, and many other pockets of society. This is the definition of “normal” we’ve used ever since. 

But what’s normal, anyway?

So, as history shows, the word “normal” was originally used to describe a fact, but was recoined by statisticians to describe what is perfect. Today, the Cambridge English Dictionary defines the word “normal” as “ordinary or usual; the same as would be expected.” Thus, normal is still being used to describe the ideal state, and mirrors the expectations of society. 

This way it is, however, exclusionary and derogatory to people who don’t fit into the statistical idea of normal. 

So, should we abandon the word “normal”?

I believe we should. Like art, normal is subjective. What is normal for one person isn’t normal for another. The word “normal” suggests there’s a standard of which someone isn’t living up to. It’s a narrow-minded term and as we now know, was created by statisticians who created their own idea of what normality is. The word has changed significantly since Galton developed his definition of “normal”. In his mind, if you fall into any minority group, you don’t fit into the standards of normal and need to be corrected. People with disabilities, who have a larger body type, who identify as queer, who don’t speak a country’s main language, or who belong to a different religion to the majority, are still shunned today because they’re not “normal”. We speak of accepting people no matter who they are and where they come from, but still use the word “normal” to describe an extremely outdated idea of perfectionism. 

Let’s remove the word “normal” from our vocabularies and replace it with average, common, usual, or typical. These words all state a fact and don’t exclude people from their definitions.  

References and further reading 

  • The Beauty Demands Network (2016). Beauty Demands Briefing Paper. Pp 6, 9.

  • Mirriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary n.d What exactly is ‘Normal’? The history of a pretty regular word.

  • Phillips, E. (1662) The New World of English Words. Blagrave.

  • Mooney, J (2019) Normal Sucks: How to Live, Learn and Thrive, Outside the Lines

  • Mooney, J (2019). How, Exactly, Did We Come Up with What Counts As ‘Normal’? A Brief History of the Pseudoscience Behind the Myth of the “Average”. LITHUB

  • Cryle, P.M. Stephens, E. (2017). Normality: A Critical Geneology. Pp 80, 134, 232.

  • Cambridge University Press. (1995). normal. Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus.

  • Mirriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary. n.d. average.

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