suboptimal

[ suhb-op-tuh-muhl ]

/ sʌbˈɒp tə məl /

Save This Word!

being below an optimal level or standard.

QUIZZES

In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”

Question 1 of 7

The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.

Also sub·op·ti·mum

[suhb-op-tuh-muhm]. /sʌbˈɒp tə məm/.

First recorded in 1930–35; sub- + optimal

“One-third of South Asians and more than half of all Sub-Saharan Africans suffer from malnutrition or undernutrition,” he writes.
The History of the Chicken: How This Humble Bird Saved Humanity|William O’Connor|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If one really wants to go for optimal health the answer is the more the better.
Running 15 Miles a Week Could Slash Alzheimer’s Risk|DailyBurn|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
About one in three girls in sub-Saharan Africa experience sexual violence before turning 18.
To End HIV, Stop Violence Against Adolescent Girls|Michele Moloney-Kitts|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This fate is unfortunately not rare for girls, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
To End HIV, Stop Violence Against Adolescent Girls|Michele Moloney-Kitts|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Many Obama administration sub-Cabinet positions (e.g. Surgeon General) have gone unfilled because of GOP opposition.
If You Think D.C. Is Awful Now, Wait Until Wednesday|Jonathan Alter|November 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Habet Rimbegui ostia sua sub gradu quadragesimo tertio cum besse.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Lannes enlisted in the second battalion of the volunteers of Gers, and was at once elected sub-lieutenant by his fellow-citizens.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
Not only did he provide sub-octave and super-octave couplers freely, but he even added a Swell Sub-quint to Great coupler!
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
REEF k, in latitude 14 degrees 47 minutes, has a dry sand upon it: its sub-marine extent was not ascertained.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
Then he returned to his province, entered the seminary, and became a sub-deacon of the diocese of Nueva Segovia.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman