suboptimal

[suhb-op-tuh-muh l]

See more synonyms for suboptimal on Thesaurus.com

adjective

being below an optimal level or standard.

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Also sub·op·ti·mum

[suhb-op-tuh-muh m] /sʌbˈɒp tə məm/.

Origin of suboptimal

First recorded in 1930–35; sub- + optimal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for sub-optimal

Contemporary Examples

And the long-term trend of growth—unsatisfying, sub-par, sub-optimal, and insufficient growth—is still intact.
The U.S. Economy Had a Hiccup, Not a Heart Attack, This Year
Daniel Gross
May 29, 2014
The patient declared cardiac dead has organs that are sub-optimal due to loss of blood flow to the organs.
A Tragedy Compounded: The Heart-Wrenching Case of Jahi McMath May Have Devastating Consequences to Organ Donation
Soumitra R. Eachempati, MD
January 4, 2014
There is no longer any room for those with sub-optimal looks.
Marty Feldman: Dead Cool
Simon Doonan
November 2, 2009

Word Origin and History for sub-optimal

suboptimal

adj.

also sub-optimal, 1901, from sub- + optimal. Related: Suboptimally.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper