I. ˈnȯrməl, ˈnȯ(ə)m- adjective
Etymology: in sense 1, from Latin normalis according to a square, forming a right angle, from norma carpenter's square, pattern, rule (probably from Greek gnōmona, accusative of gnōmōn interpreter, discerner, pointer on a sundial, carpenter's square) + -alis -al; in senses 2-7 and 9-10, from Late Latin normalis according to rule, from Latin, according to a square; in sense 8, translation of French normale (in école normale normal school) — more at gnomon
1. : forming a right angle : perpendicular
2. : according to, constituting, or not deviating from an established norm, rule, or principle : conformed to a type, standard, or regular pattern : not abnormal : regular
normal word order of subject and verb
normal working hours
normal pronunciation
3.
a. : unaffected by or not exposed to any particular infection or experimental treatment
a normal control animal
b. : occurring naturally and not because of disease, inoculation, or any experimental treatment
normal immunity
4.
a. : of, relating to, or characterized by average intelligence or development : free from intellectual defect
b. : free from mental disorder : having neither neurosis, personality disorder, nor psychosis : sane
c. : characterized by balanced, well-integrated functioning of the organism as a whole within the limits imposed by the environment and in accord with the pattern of one's biological endowment
5. : relating to or conforming with long-run expectations or to a permanent standard deviations from which on the part of individual economic phenomena are to be regarded as self-corrective
a normal price corresponds to long-run costs of production
6.
a. : approximating the statistical norm or average
a normal infant mortality rate
normal rainfall of the region
b. : consistent with the social norm
normal married life
7. : average over many years at a particular place and for a definite time, a certain day, or some other specified period — used of a meteorological element
8. : of or relating to the training of teachers
normal college
normal department
9. : of, relating to, or characterized by full ablaut grade
10.
a. of a solution : having a concentration of one gram equivalent of solute per liter
normal hydrochloric acid
— abbr. N
b. : being an assumed fundamental compound (as an acid from which the known acids are obtained by dehydration)
normal sulfuric acid S(OH) 6
— compare orth- 3a
c. : containing neither basic hydroxyl nor acid hydrogen
normal silver phosphate Ag 3 PO 4
— used of a compound (as a salt, ester, or amide)
d. : not associated
normal liquids
normal molecules
e. : having a straight-chain structure
normal pentane
normal butyl alcohol
— abbr. n ; used of an aliphatic hydrocarbon, one of its derivatives, or an alkyl radical; compare is- 2b
f. : cis — used especially of stereoisomeric compounds containing two fused saturated rings; contrasted with allo
the allo and normal forms of steroids
Synonyms: see regular
II. noun
( -s )
1. mathematics
a. : perpendicular:
(1) : a line perpendicular to the tangent line to a curve at a point of the curve
(2) : a plane perpendicular to the tangent plane to a surface at a point on the surface
b. : the intercept on the normal line between a curve and the x-axis
2. : one that is normal: as
a. : a normal person or organism
b. : a normal level (as of temperature, pressure, rainfall, price) : mean , average
c. : normal school
3. : a form or state regarded as the norm : standard
III. adjective
1. of a subgroup : having the property that every coset produced by operating on the left with a given element is equal to the coset produced by operating on the right with the same element
2. : relating to, involving, or being a normal curve or normal distribution
normal approximation to the binomial distribution
3. of a matrix : having the property of commutativity under multiplication by the transpose of a matrix each of whose elements is a conjugate complex number with respect to the corresponding element of the given matrix