suboptimal

American  

[suhb-op-tuh-muhl] / sʌbˈɒp tə məl /

Also suboptimum

adjective

1. being below an optimal level or standard.

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Usage

What does suboptimal mean? Suboptimal means below the optimal (best possible) level or standard.The words optimal and optimum both describe an ideal or perfect level, degree, result, or similar thing. Suboptimal means something has fallen short of that level. It is often used in phrases like suboptimal performance and suboptimal conditions.Example: The patient’s heart is performing at a suboptimal level.

Etymology

Origin of suboptimal

First recorded in 1930–35; sub- + optimal

Example Sentences

Its trailer, in which a voiceover intones: “A passion . . . An obsession . . . A love that destroyed everyone it touched,” is a bit unsettling to watch from the vantage of 2026, when love that destroys everyone it touches is generally understood to be suboptimal for all involved.

From Salon

Without fiduciaries serving as a buffer between the participant and the market, investments will be suboptimal.

From MarketWatch

“It’s actually incredibly inefficient, but because it’s so world-changing, they’re able to do it. It’s like, suboptimal from my seat, or from the seat of, let’s say, a finance professor who was looking at the problem.”

From Barron's

“But our position was: No, we have a suboptimal offering.”

From The Wall Street Journal

"The nuclear signaling pathway it activates then suppresses DC maturation, diminishing the ability of these cells to trigger anti-tumor immunity. This previously unknown mechanism likely contributes to the largely suboptimal performance of DC and other cancer vaccines that has been repeatedly seen in clinical trials."

From Science Daily

Related Words

• substandard