Normal

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: nor=mal

CIDE DICTIONARY

Normal, a. [L. normalis, fr. norma rule, pattern, carpenter's square; prob. akin to noscere to know; cf. Gr. gnw`rimos well known, gnw`mwn gnomon, also, carpenter's square: cf. F. normal. See Known, and cf. Abnormal, Enormous.].

•  According to an established norm, rule, or principle; conformed to a type, standard, or regular form; performing the proper functions; not abnormal; regular; natural; analogical.  [1913 Webster]

  "Deviations from the normal type."  [1913 Webster]
•  According to a square or rule; perpendicular; forming a right angle; as, a line normal to the base. Specifically: Of or pertaining to a normal.  [1913 Webster]
•  Standard; original; exact; typical.  [1913 Webster]

Normal equations (Method of Least Squares), a set of equations of the first degree equal in number to the number of unknown quantities, and derived from the observations by a specified process. The solution of the normal equations gives the most probable values of the unknown quantities. -- Normal group (Geol.), a group of rocks taken as a standard. Lyell. -- Normal place (of a planet or comet) (Astron.), the apparent place in the heavens of a planet or comet at a specified time, the place having been determined by a considerable number of observations, extending perhaps over many days, and so combined that the accidental errors of observation have largely balanced each other. -- Normal school, a school whose methods of instruction are to serve as a model for imitation; an institution for the training of teachers.

Syn. -- Normal, Regular, Ordinary.

Normal, n. [Cf. F. normale, ligne normale. See Normal, a.].

•  Any perpendicular.  [1913 Webster]
•  A straight line or plane drawn from any point of a curve or surface so as to be perpendicular to the curve or surface at that point.  [1913 Webster]

  " The term normal is also used to denote the distance along the normal line from the curve to the axis of abscissas or to the center of curvature."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Normal, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 conforming to a standard; regular, usual, typical.
2 free from mental or emotional disorder.
3 Geom. (of a line) at right angles, perpendicular.
4 Chem. (of a solution) containing one gram-equivalent of solute per litre.
--n.
1 a the normal value of a temperature etc., esp. blood-heat. b the usual state, level, etc.
2 Geom. a line at right angles.

Idiom

normal distribution Statistics a function that represents the distribution of many random variables as a symmetrical bell-shaped graph. normal school (in the US, France, etc.) a school or college for training teachers.

Derivative

normalcy n. esp. US. normality n.

Etymology

F normal or L normalis (as NORM)

THESAURUS

Normal

academe, academia, accepted, according to Hoyle, air line, all there, alma mater, appropriate, arranged, average, axis, azimuth circle, balance, balanced, banal, beeline, besetting, bourgeois, businesslike, center, central, characteristic, chord, clearheaded, clearminded, college, college of engineering, common, commonplace, community college, compos mentis, condign, conformable, conformist, consuetudinary, conventional, correct, current, customary, decent, decorous, degree-granting institution, diagonal, diameter, direct line, directrix, distinctive, distinguishing, dominant, due, edge, epidemic, established, everyday, exemplary, familiar, fit, fitting, formal, four-year college, garden, garden-variety, general, generality, generally accepted, golden mean, good, graduate school, great-circle course, habitual, happy medium, harmonious, healthy, healthy-minded, in hand, institute of technology, intermediary, intermediate, ivied halls, journalism school, junior college, juste-milieu, kosher, law school, lucid, mean, medial, median, medical school, mediocre, mediocrity, medium, mentally sound, methodical, middle, middle course, middle ground, middle point, middle position, middle state, middle-class, middle-of-the-road, middling, midpoint, moderate, multiversity, natural, naturalistic, naturistic, nice, no great shakes, norm, normal school, normative, obtaining, of sound mind, ordered, orderly, ordinary, orthodiagonal, orthodox, orthogonal, orthometric, pandemic, par, perpendicular, plastic, plumb, popular, postgraduate school, predominant, predominating, prescribed, prescriptive, prevailing, prevalent, proper, quintessential, radius, radius vector, rampant, rational, realistic, reasonable, received, rectangular, regnant, regular, regulation, reigning, rife, right, right and proper, right angle, right line, right-angle, right-angled, right-angular, righteous, rightful, routine, rule, ruling, run, run-of-mine, run-of-the-mill, running, sample, sane, sane-minded, school of communications, school of education, secant, seemly, segment, sensible, set, shortcut, side, sound, sound-minded, stable, standard, steady, stereotyped, stock, straight, straight course, straight line, straight stretch, straightaway, streamline, suburban, suitable, symmetrical, systematic, tangent, time-honored, together, traditional, transversal, true to form, true to type, two-year college, typal, typic, typical, unexceptional, uniform, universal, university, university college, unnoteworthy, unremarkable, unspectacular, upright, usual, varsity, vector, vertical, vertical circle, via media, well-ordered, well-regulated, wholesome, widespread, wonted

ROGET THESAURUS

Normal

Intrinsicality

N intrinsicality, inbeing, inherence, inhesion, subjectiveness, ego, egohood, essence, noumenon, essentialness, essential part, quintessence, incarnation, quiddity, gist, pith, marrow, core, sap, lifeblood, backbone, heart, soul, important part, principle, nature, constitution, character, type, quality, crasis, diathesis, habit, temper, temperament, spirit, humor, grain, disposition, endowment, capacity, capability, moods, declensions, features, aspects, peculiarities, idiosyncrasy, oddity, idiocrasy, diagnostics, derived from within, subjective, intrinsic, intrinsical, fundamental, normal, implanted, inherent, essential, natural, innate, inborn, inbred, ingrained, inwrought, coeval with birth, genetous, haematobious, syngenic, radical, incarnate, thoroughbred, hereditary, inherited, immanent, congenital, congenite, connate, running in the blood, ingenerate, ingenite, indigenous, in the grain, bred in the bone, instinctive, inward, internal, to the manner born, virtual, characteristic, invariable, incurable, incorrigible, ineradicable, fixed, intrinsically, at bottom, in the main, in effect, practically, virtually, substantially, au fond, fairly, character is higher than intellect, come give us a taste of your quality, magnos homines virtute metimur non fortuna, non numero haec judicantur sed pondere, vital spark of heavenly flame.

Normality

N normality, normalcy, normalness, familiarity, naturalness, commonness (frequency), rule, standard (conformity), customary (habit), standard, pattern (prototype), normal, natural, unexceptional, common, usual (frequency).

Conformity

N conformity, conformance, observance, habituation, naturalization, conventionality, agreement, example, instance, specimen, sample, quotation, exemplification, illustration, case in point, object lesson, elucidation, standard, model, pattern, rule, nature, principle, law, order of things, normal state, natural state, ordinary state, model state, normal condition, natural condition, ordinary condition, model condition, standing dish, standing order, Procrustean law, law of the Medes and Persians, hard and fast rule, conformable to rule, regular, according to regulation, according to rule, according to Hoyle, according to Cocker, according to Gunter, en regle, selon les regles, well regulated, orderly, symmetric, conventional, of daily occurrence, of everyday occurrence, in the natural order of things, ordinary, common, habitual, usual, everyday, workaday, in the order of the day, naturalized, typical, normal, nominal, formal, canonical, orthodox, sound, strict, rigid, positive, uncompromising, Procrustean, secundum artem, shipshape, technical, exempIe, illustrative, in point, conformably, by rule, agreeably to, in conformity with, in accordance with, in keeping with, according to, consistently with, as usual, ad instar, instar omnium, more solito, more-majorum, for the sake of conformity, as a matter of course, of course, pro forma, for form's sake, by the card, invariably, for example, exempli gratia, e, g, inter alia, among other things, for instance, cela va sans dire, ex pede Herculem, noscitur a sociis, ne e quovis ligno Mercurius fiat, they are happy men whose natures sort with their v, The nail that sticks up hammered down, Tall poppy syndrome, Stick your neck out and it may get cut off.

Verticality

N verticality, erectness, perpendicularity, right angle, normal, azimuth circle, wall, precipice, cliff, elevation, erection, square, plumb line, plummet, vertical, upright, erect, perpendicular, plumb, normal, straight, bolt, upright, rampant, standing up, rectangular, orthogonal, vertically, up, on end, up on end, right on end, a plomb, endwise, one one's legs, at right angles, verticality, erectness, perpendicularity, right angle, normal, azimuth circle, wall, precipice, cliff, elevation, erection, square, plumb line, plummet, vertical, upright, erect, perpendicular, plumb, normal, straight, bolt, upright, rampant, standing up, rectangular, orthogonal, vertically, up, on end, up on end, right on end, a plomb, endwise, one one's legs, at right angles.

Expectance

N expectance, example, instance (conformity), normality (habit), nine days' wonder, expecting, unamazed, astonished at nothing, blase, expected, foreseen, unsurprising, common, ordinary, normal, typical, usual, naturally, as a matter of course, Int, no wonder, of course.