normalize
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to make normal.
Traditional Chinese medicine uses ginseng to normalize blood pressure.
-
to cause (something previously considered abnormal or unacceptable) to be treated as normal.
I have to resist the impulse to normalize her eccentricities.
-
to establish or resume (relations) in a normal manner, as between countries.
-
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.
-
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
-
to bring or make into the normal state
-
to bring into conformity with a standard
-
to heat (steel) above a critical temperature and allow it to cool in air to relieve internal stresses; anneal
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
denormalizationnoun
-
normalizationnoun
-
overnormalizationnoun
-
renormalizationnoun
-
overnormalizeverb (used with object)
-
renormalizeverb (used with object)
-
unnormalizedadjective
-
unnormalizingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
normalizesimple
-
normalizessimple
-
have normalizedperfect
-
has normalizedperfect
-
am normalizingprogressive
-
are normalizingprogressive
-
is normalizingprogressive
-
have been normalizingperfect progressive
-
has been normalizingperfect progressive
Past
-
normalizedsimple
-
had normalizedperfect
-
was normalizingprogressive
-
were normalizingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Novel Study: Refugee, Pages 171–338
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Free Period
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
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
Profits may also decline over 2026-2028 as product spreads normalize and new petrochemical capacity in China comes onstream, he says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
Goldman Sachs estimates Persian Gulf oil exports will normalize by July, but shipowner caution and Iran’s goals pose risks.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
Despite the tentative peace deal, it will take time for oil shipments to return to prewar volumes and energy infrastructure to normalize.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 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
Most experts are working with the assumption that it will be several weeks, if not months, before Middle Eastern production normalizes.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 25, 2026
The president said he wanted to avoid an “economic catastrophe,” though investors will watch for how quickly shipping through the crucial waterway normalizes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
But an Iran deal, which normalizes energy flows, steadies oil markets, and possibly removes one of the market’s key risks into the summer months, feels strong enough to entice bullish belief once again.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 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
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.)
Shipping patterns remain disrupted, insurance costs are still elevated and transit through the strait has not fully normalized.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
“The right takeaway is not that cyclicality has disappeared but that normalized earnings power has likely moved much higher and the next downside cycle may be better protected than investors historically assumed.”
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
They add that it will be difficult to pin down the normalized EPS level until the company issues 2027 guidance in January.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
“This has become very normalized now,” said Brendan Glavin, director of insights at OpenSecrets, which tracks campaign spending.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 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
To sustain current prices, Yilmaz said the cease-fire needs to hold, negotiations need to continue and commercial shipping through the Gulf needs to keep normalizing without any renewed attacks or disruptions.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
Since demand is still looking robust and jet fuel prices are normalizing, it remains to be seen how sticky this fare momentum will be, they say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
"When platforms stop enforcing their own rules against threats, hate, and harassment, they become complicit in normalizing intimidation and harassment of elected officials," said Imran Ahmed, chief executive of CCDH.
From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 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
“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.
