Definition of normalnext
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normal

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noun

as in average
what is typical of a group, class, or series a temperature chart showing the normals and extremes for various regions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective normal differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of normal are natural, regular, and typical. While all these words mean "being of the sort or kind that is expected as usual, ordinary, or average," normal implies lack of deviation from what has been discovered or established as the most usual or expected.

normal behavior for a two-year-old

In what contexts can natural take the place of normal?

The meanings of natural and normal largely overlap; however, natural applies to what conforms to a thing's essential nature, function, or mode of being.

the natural love of a mother for her child

When is regular a more appropriate choice than normal?

While in some cases nearly identical to normal, regular stresses conformity to a rule, standard, or pattern.

the club's regular monthly meeting

When might typical be a better fit than normal?

The words typical and normal are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, typical implies showing all important traits of a type, class, or group and may suggest lack of strong individuality.

a typical small town

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of normal
Adjective
India has faced below-normal rainfall in key sugar-producing regions. Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 6 Sep. 2026 Tomato sauce also provides potassium, which helps support healthy blood pressure and normal muscle and nerve function, plus vitamins A and C, which are important for immune function, vision and tissue health. Daryl Austin, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
Noun
In May, news broke that Hewitt and Davidson, 32, had broken up and were trying to navigate their new normal as co-parents. Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026 This preventive darkness is fast becoming the new normal for millions of residents in the West. Jasmine Garland, The Conversation, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for normal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for normal
Adjective
  • McCuin has only good speed and ordinary size, but his route savvy, ball skills and competitive toughness separate him on tape.
    Dane Brugler, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Europol does not keep statistics on nihilistic violent extremism because definitions of it differ and acts can fall into the category of ordinary criminality as well as terrorism.
    Lorne Cook, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Nuclear power, where viable, can offer another source of relatively stable generation costs.
    Nana Menya Ayensu, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Don also taught his son how to be a light for people who need him, how to be level-headed and stable and how to deal with adversity.
    Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • In typical Zheng fashion, she’s been upfront about what she’s learned as she’s begun the long climb back to the top of the sport.
    Ava Wallace, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Look forward to a more comfortable return to typical or even slightly below-average temperatures this weekend and next week.
    Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The report also notes that the level of ozone was below average across a large area that extended from Greenland and Europe into Central Asia, Japan and the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia.
    Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The situation can be extra frustrating in 2026, as most carriers have significantly raised the cost of checking luggage on domestic and short-haul international routes to an average of $45 for the first bag.
    Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • There will be three races held in the United States once again, each retaining their usual date slots.
    Luke Smith, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • To Diana, who has taken over First Desk at the Park after last season’s events, River’s refusal to take bereavement leave gives her license to speak about his grandfather’s funeral arrangements with her usual cool formality.
    Scott Tobias, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • But his memory, of a long career as a reporter around the globe, with turns as an essayist, a historian, a novelist, and a political activist, remains almost eerily lucid.
    Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2026
  • These 16 slaps are lucid and adventurous, featuring random Jay Electronica warblings, DJ Quik rhythms, and a couple of surprisingly appropriate Westside Gunn vignettes.
    Will Dukes, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The hotel’s commitment to showing off local, small-batch liquors means that all standard cocktails, as well as most of the signature drinks offered at its three bars, feature in-state whiskeys, vodkas, gins, and bourbons as a base.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2026
  • This massive $700 price cut gives competitive players, streamers, and multimedia creators a chance to bring home high-frame-rate gameplay and multithreaded rendering power without the strain of standard retail prices.
    Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Especially for him in the same interview to be lecturing my party on democracy and norms.
    NBC news, NBC news, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Since then, a lack of norms around how AI should be used at work, with friends and family, in romantic relationships and beyond is making a mess of everyday life.
    Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 6 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Normal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/normal. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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