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normal

adj. · n.
US //ˈnɔɹməɫ// UK //nˈɔːməl// nor·mal
  1. 1 usual or expected (adj.)
    A2 Elementary

    usual, typical, or expected under ordinary circumstances.

    conforming to a standard, pattern, or expected level of performance or behaviour.

    Example

    It is normal to feel a little nervous before you give a presentation.

    Example

    Under normal operating conditions, the cooling system maintains a constant temperature without requiring manual intervention from the staff.
  2. 2 healthy or sane (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate Medicine

    healthy in mind and body; not suffering from any illness or mental health issues.

    functioning within the expected range of physical or psychological health.

    Example

    The doctor said my test results were normal and I have nothing to worry about.

    Example

    The patient exhibited normal cognitive function during the assessment, showing no signs of the memory loss reported by his family.
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  1. 3 perpendicular (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Math

    meeting a surface or line at a right angle (90 degrees).

    perpendicular to a tangent of a curve or a tangent plane of a surface.

    Example

    The normal force acts directly upward from the surface of the table.

    Example

    The incident ray of light is measured relative to the normal line drawn at the point of contact with the mirror.
  2. 4 chemical concentration (adj.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    a specific way of measuring how much of a substance is in a liquid.

    relating to a solution containing one equivalent weight of solute per litre of solution.

    Example

    The chemist prepared a normal solution for the titration experiment.

    Example

    The laboratory protocol required a 1.0 normal hydrochloric acid solution to ensure the reaction reached completion within the specified timeframe.

  3. 5 the usual state (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the usual or average situation or condition.

    the usual, average, or expected state or condition; often used in the phrase 'back to normal'.

    Example

    After the long holiday, it took a few days for life to return to normal.

    Example

    The city struggled to establish a new normal in the aftermath of the flood, as many businesses remained closed for months.
  4. 6 a mainstream person (n.)
    C1 Advanced Informal Slang

    a person who fits into mainstream society and does not have unusual habits.

    a person who conforms to mainstream social standards, often used in contrast to those with alternative lifestyles.

    Example

    He tries to act like a normal, but his friends know how quirky he really is.

    Example

    The subculture often viewed 'normals' with a mix of pity and disdain, seeing their conventional lives as boring and predictable.
    • conformist
Origin

From Latin normālis (“made according to a carpenter's square; later: according to a rule”), from nōrma (“carpenter's square”), of uncertain origin; doublet of normale. The earliest meaning of the word in English was "perpendicular; forming a right angle" like something normālis (“made according to a carpenter's square”), but by Late Latin normālis had also come to mean "according to a rule", from which modern English senses of the word derive: in the 1800s, as people began to quantitatively study things like height, weight and blood pressure, the usual or most common values came to be called "normal", and by extension values regarded as healthy or desirable came to be called "normal" regardless of their usuality.

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