Normal — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈnȯr-məl/ nor·mal

Meaning & Definition of Normal

Normal (adjective)

  1. conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern, characterized by that which is considered usual, typical, or routine
  2. according with, constituting, or not deviating from a norm, rule, procedure, or principle
  3. occurring naturally

Normal (noun)

  1. a form or state regarded as the norm, standard
  2. one that is normal
  3. a normal line

Normal (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events

    "that fateful day had begun just like any normal workday"

    similar: average, common, commonplace, cut-and-dried, everyday, garden-variety, ordinary, prosaic, routine, run-of-the-mill, standard, standard-issue, unexceptional, unremarkable, usual, workaday, par for the course
    related: regular, typical, unextraordinary, familiar, homely, plain, plain-Jane, popular, vulgar, natural, customary, wonted, insignificant, trivial, unimportant, frequent, habitual, expected, predictable
    opposite: abnormal, exceptional, extraordinary, odd, out-of-the-way, strange, unusual
    near: curious, funny, peculiar, quaint, queer, aberrant, anomalous, atypical, irregular, untypical, rare, recherché, scarce, fantastic, phenomenal, bizarre, far-out, Kafkaesque, outrageous, outré, wacky, way-out, weird, wild, eccentric, idiosyncratic, kooky, nonconformist, oddball, offbeat, unconventional, unorthodox, freak, freakish, conspicuous, notable, novel, outstanding, prominent, salient, signal, striking, unexampled, unprecedented, singular, unique, unparalleled

  2. having full use of one's mind and control over one's actions

    "if you run around screaming like that, no one will think you are normal"

    similar: balanced, clearheaded, compos mentis, lucid, right, sane, stable
    related: analytic, clear, coherent, logical, rational, reasonable, even-keeled, judicious, levelheaded, sensible, wise, healthy, sound, unneurotic, well-adjusted, well-balanced
    opposite: brainsick, crazed (sometimes offensive), crazy (usually offensive), daft (chiefly British, informal), demented, deranged (often offensive), insane, loco (slang), mad, maniacal, mental (sometimes offensive), unbalanced, unhinged, unsound
    near: bananas, batty, dotty, loopy, aberrant, delirious, disordered, delusional, delusionary, disturbed, eccentric, odd, oddball, off, pixilated, potty (chiefly British), queer, strange, foolish, senseless, witless, irrational, mixed-up, unreasonable, depressed, despondent, distracted, distraught, frantic, frenzied, hysterical, raving, wigged-out, amok, ape, ballistic, berserk, nuclear, fixated, monomaniac, monomaniacal, obsessed

  3. having or showing the qualities associated with the members of a particular group or kind

    "she has normal reading abilities for a child her age"

    similar: archetypal, average, characteristic, regular, representative, standard, true, typical
    related: common, commonplace, conventional, customary, everyday, ordinary, usual, wonted, workaday, classic, textbook, vintage, expected, familiar, habitual, predictable, routine, unexceptional, unremarkable, predominant, preponderant
    opposite: aberrant, abnormal, anomalous, atypical, deviant, irregular, nonrepresentative, nontypical, untypical
    near: uncommon, unconventional, uncustomary, unusual, unwonted, distinctive, especial, exceptional, extraordinary, infrequent, noteworthy, rare, remarkable, singular, special, unexpected, unfamiliar, unique, unpredictable, eccentric, idiosyncratic, nonconformist, peculiar, unknown, unorthodox, curious, erratic, funky, funny, odd, oddball, offbeat, outlandish, quirky, screwy, strange, wacky, way-out, bizarre, fantastic, far-out, freak, freakish, kooky, out-of-the-way, outrageous, outré, unnatural, weird, wild

Normal (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. what is typical of a group, class, or series

    "a temperature chart showing the normals and extremes for various regions"

    similar: average, norm, par, standard
    related: golden mean, mean, median, middle, commonplace, ordinary, rule, run, status quo, usual, exemplar, representative
    near: abnormality, anomaly, deviation, exception, rarity

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Normal

The most common words with a similar meaning to Normal:

average, common, commonplace, cut-and-dried, everyday, garden-variety, ordinary, prosaic, routine, run-of-the-mill, standard, standard-issue, unexceptional, unremarkable, usual, workaday, balanced, clearheaded, compos mentis, lucid, right, sane, stable, archetypal, characteristic, regular, representative, true, typical, par for the course, norm, par

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Normal

Words with the opposite meaning of Normal:

abnormal, exceptional, extraordinary, odd, out-of-the-way, strange, unusual, brainsick, crazed, crazy, daft, demented, deranged, insane, loco, mad, maniacal, mental, unbalanced, unhinged, unsound, aberrant, anomalous, atypical, deviant, irregular, nonrepresentative, nontypical, untypical

Related Words for Normal

unextraordinary, familiar, homely, plain, plain-Jane, popular, vulgar, natural, customary, wonted, insignificant, trivial, unimportant, frequent, habitual, expected, predictable, analytic, clear, coherent, logical, rational, reasonable, even-keeled, judicious, levelheaded, sensible, wise, healthy, sound

Near Antonyms of Normal

curious, funny, peculiar, quaint, queer, rare, recherché, scarce, fantastic, phenomenal, bizarre, far-out, Kafkaesque, outrageous, outré, wacky, way-out, weird, wild, eccentric, idiosyncratic, kooky, nonconformist, oddball, offbeat, unconventional, unorthodox, freak, freakish, conspicuous

Word Forms of Normal

Derived words: normality (noun), normally (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Normal

borrowed from Latin normālis "made according to a carpenter's square, forming a right angle," from norma "carpenter's square" + -ālis -al:1 norm

First known use: 1704

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Normal

Words & Phrases Containing Normal

normal curve, normal distribution, normal school, someone's normal self, under/in normal circumstances, average/normal/general/usual run of, in the usual/normal/ordinary course of business

Frequently Asked Questions about Normal

What does "Normal" mean?

"Normal" means conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern, characterized by that which is considered usual, typical, or routine. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern, characterized by that which is considered usual, typical, or routine. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Normal"?

Other words for "Normal" include average, common, commonplace, cut-and-dried, everyday, garden-variety, ordinary and prosaic. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Normal" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Normal"?

There are 79 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Normal". Common alternatives include average, common, commonplace, cut-and-dried, everyday, garden-variety, ordinary, prosaic, routine and run-of-the-mill.

What is the opposite of "Normal"?

Antonyms of "Normal" include abnormal, exceptional, extraordinary, odd, out-of-the-way, strange, unusual and brainsick. Near antonyms include curious, funny, peculiar and quaint.

How do you use "Normal" in a sentence?

Examples of "Normal" in a sentence: "that fateful day had begun just like any normal workday"; "if you run around screaming like that, no one will think you are normal"; "she has normal reading abilities for a child her age".

Is "Normal" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Normal" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Normal" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Normal" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Normal"?

"Normal" is pronounced /ˈnȯr-məl/ and divided into syllables as nor·mal.