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Synonyms

subnormal

American  
[suhb-nawr-muhl] / sʌbˈnɔr məl /

adjective

  1. below the normal; less than or inferior to the normal.

    a subnormal amount of rain.

  2. being less than average in any psychological trait, as intelligence, personality, or emotional adjustment.

noun

  1. a subnormal person.

  2. Geometry. that part of the x-axis of a curve cut off between the ordinate and a normal.

subnormal British  
/ ˌsʌbnɔːˈmælɪtɪ, sʌbˈnɔːməl /

adjective

  1. less than the normal

  2. having a low intelligence, esp having an IQ of less than 70

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a subnormal person

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • subnormality noun
  • subnormally adverb

Etymology

Origin of subnormal

First recorded in 1700–10; sub- + normal

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.