n.
Pronunciation: ' no ̇ r-m ə l
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin normalis, from norma
Date: circa 1696
1 : PERPENDICULAR especially : perpendicular to a tangent at a point of tangency
2 a : according with, constituting, or not deviating from a norm, rule, or principle b : conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern
3 : occurring naturally < normal immunity>
4 a : of, relating to, or characterized by average intelligence or development b : free from mental disorder : SANE
5 a of a solution : having a concentration of one gram equivalent of solute per liter b : containing neither basic hydroxyl nor acid hydrogen < normal silver phosphate> c : not associated < normal molecules> d : having a straight-chain structure < normal pentane> < normal butyl alcohol>
6 of a subgroup : having the property that every coset produced by operating on the left by a given element is equal to the coset produced by operating on the right by the same element
7 : relating to, involving, or being a normal curve or normal distribution < normal approximation to the binomial distribution>
8 of a matrix : having the property of commutativity under multiplication by the transpose of the matrix each of whose elements is a conjugate complex number with respect to the corresponding element of the given matrix
synonyms see REGULAR
– nor · mal · i · ty \ no ̇ r- ' ma-l ə -t ē \ noun
– nor · mal · ly \ ' no ̇ r-m ə -l ē \ adverb