normalize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to make normal.
Traditional Chinese medicine uses ginseng to normalize blood pressure.
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to cause (something previously considered abnormal or unacceptable) to be treated as normal.
I have to resist the impulse to normalize her eccentricities.
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to establish or resume (relations) in a normal manner, as between countries.
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Statistics. to mathematically transform or adjust (the values in a data set) so that they fit a standard measure or scale, such as by making all the values fall between 0 and 1.
Data was normalized before analysis.
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Metallurgy. to heat (a steel alloy) to a suitable temperature above the transformation range and then cool it in still air at ambient temperature.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to bring or make into the normal state
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to bring into conformity with a standard
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to heat (steel) above a critical temperature and allow it to cool in air to relieve internal stresses; anneal
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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denormalizationnoun
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normalizationnoun
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overnormalizationnoun
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renormalizationnoun
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overnormalizeverb (used with object)
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renormalizeverb (used with object)
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unnormalizedadjective
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unnormalizingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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normalizesimple
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normalizessimple
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have normalizedperfect
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has normalizedperfect
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am normalizingprogressive
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are normalizingprogressive
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is normalizingprogressive
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have been normalizingperfect progressive
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has been normalizingperfect progressive
Past
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normalizedsimple
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had normalizedperfect
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was normalizingprogressive
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were normalizingprogressive
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had been normalizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of normalize
Explanation
If it's out of whack, totally crazy and absolutely bizarre, it should probably be normalized, or put back into a normal state. Something that's been normalized has been put back to normal, whether you're talking about the weather pattern or your sleep habits. Someone who likes to keep things in order is probably a fan of the word normalize. Stock brokers, for example, hate it when the stock market takes them on a wild, unpredictable ride; they'd much rather have things normalize and settle down.
Vocabulary lists containing normalize
Carrie Brownstein on "Inchoate" Youth and the Search for "Trenchant" Meaning
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Novel Study: Refugee, Pages 171–338
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Free Period
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"That's what I see continuing on out into 2027... When fuel prices normalize, American is going to be the best investment out there."
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Yet its authority is not self-executing: It relies on lower courts to implement its decisions, extend their logic, and normalize the resulting excesses.
From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026
One of the silver linings of so many people working from home during the pandemic, in my opinion, is that it helped normalize doing a lot of life admin while working remotely.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
The comment comes as traders grow increasingly optimistic that flows through Hormuz will gradually normalize and supply from major Gulf producers will recover soon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
They spent so much time trying to normalize her life that Maya sometimes felt like she was anything but normal.
From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway
“Our biggest call…on the assumption of an unrestricted Hormuz, is that the oil market normalizes far quicker than consensus expects,” Macquarie strategist Peter Taylor wrote in a research note.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
According to Wilson, the critical issue for markets in coming days will be how quickly positioning normalizes.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 8, 2026
“It normalizes the use of AI replicas and synthetic performers rather than drawing a firm line protecting human performers and their jobs,” said Chuck Slavin, a background actor and performer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
The yield curve is expected to gradually stabilize into 2027 as economic growth continues and inflation normalizes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
Nichols normalizes the text, spells out several names in full, and adds several unimportant notes.
From Two Poems Against Pope One Epistle to Mr. A. Pope and the Blatant Beast by Guerinot, J. V. (Joseph V.)
One Goldman Sachs economist examined the risk of those price spikes becoming normalized.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
“We’ve normalized putting money on entertainment, and now juiced up our entertainment experience,” Fong said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
More than 70% logged better-than-expected sales, and with operating leverage returning to normalized levels postpandemic, sales beats are once again becoming a more reliable indicator of upside earnings surprises.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
Traffic through Hormuz is not fully normalized, Innes said.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
It was a breathtaking moment, for in one sweeping action he had virtually normalized the situation in South Africa.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
These accords involve Arab or Muslim countries normalizing relations with Israel.
From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026
Leaders can make it easier for workers to tell the truth by being specific, normalizing feedback and closing the loop, writes CEO coach Sabina Nawaz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
By normalizing Grik4 gene activity in this region, they restored communication with inhibitory neurons in the centrolateral amygdala called regular firing neurons.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 3, 2026
Luckin’s rise has reshaped the industry by normalizing extremely cheap coffee through app-driven discounts and relentless promotions.
From Barron's ● May 26, 2026
“It’s not normalizing anything if everyone just pretends they don't see it or that the tampons don't exist.”
From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
