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.

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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

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noun

1. a subnormal person

Other Word Forms

• subnormality noun
• subnormally adverb

Etymology

Origin of subnormal

First recorded in 1700–10; sub- + normal

Example Sentences

On reflection, he says being labelled educationally subnormal made him feel inferior for the rest of his life, and gave him a lot of psychological problems.

From BBC • May 19, 2021

The judge said subnormal intelligence is just one consideration in a competency decision.

From Washington Times • Jul. 25, 2018

Many trials of vitamins and minerals are performed on the population at large instead of on a subpopulation with subnormal levels of those substances. 

From Forbes • Aug. 27, 2014

Then, Keynes said a depression was a "chronic condition of subnormal activity for a considerable period without any marked tendency towards recovery or towards complete collapse".

From The Guardian • Feb. 24, 2013

The thermometer registered a half degree lower than his usual subnormal temperature of 96.8.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

Related Words

• feeble
• inferior
• insufficient
• meager
• mediocre
• miserable
• modest
• ordinary
• shoddy
• substandard
• unsatisfactory
• weak