normal
/ˈnɔːml/ (bre, ipa) · [nˈɔrməl] /ˈnɔːrml/ (ame, ipa) · [nˈɔrməl] /ˈnȯr-məl/ (ame, mw)
normal — adjective
- normalpositive
- more normalcomparative
- most normalsuperlative
1. matching what people usually expect, so it does not seem strange or surprising.
matching what people usually expect, so it does not seem strange or surprising.
After two weeks of rain, a sunny day finally felt normal again.
It is normal for babies to wake up several times at night.
it is normal for + person + to-infinitive
When the power came back, the office returned to its normal routine.
Jack gave a short laugh, as if the awkward silence were completely normal.
文法句型
be normal
it is normal for someone to do something
normal routine
用法筆記
Often used after 'be' to describe what people expect in a situation. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about what feels ordinary, not about health or body function.
常見錯誤
2. in good physical or mental condition, without illness, damage, or a worrying pro
in good physical or mental condition, without illness, damage, or a worrying problem.
After a month of rest, Daniel's knee looked normal again and he could climb stairs.
The doctor said Ziad's heart sounds were normal during the checkup.
normal with medical test or examination results
Trang felt relieved when the blood test results came back normal.
Samir's temperature was normal by morning, so he went to school.
文法句型
be normal
come back normal
return to normal
用法筆記
Common with nouns like 'temperature', 'heartbeat', 'breathing', and 'results'. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense judges health or body function, not what feels usual in daily life.
常見錯誤
3. produced by nature rather than by human change, or happening in the way natural
produced by nature rather than by human change, or happening in the way natural laws predict.
The scientist explained that the shaking was a normal result of pressure below the ground.
a normal result of for an effect produced by natural forces
Bright green skin is normal for this frog in the wild.
Warm air rising after sunrise is a normal part of the daily weather cycle.
The guide said the cave smell was normal and not caused by pollution.
- artificial
made or changed by human action
- man-made
everyday phrase for something created by people
文法句型
a normal result of
normal in the wild
normal part of
用法筆記
Used mainly in science or nature contexts. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense explains what happens naturally, not what society or daily life expects.
4. close to the average, or inside the range treated as ordinary in a set of measur
close to the average, or inside the range treated as ordinary in a set of measurements.
Children in the study scored within the normal range for reading speed.
within the normal range in statistics or measurement
The rainfall this month was normal for the coast, not unusually wet.
Sales in April rose above normal after the music festival opened.
The chart showed most values staying inside the normal range all week.
文法句型
within the normal range
above normal
normal for + group
用法筆記
Usually appears with data, scores, temperatures, rainfall, and other measured values. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about averages and ranges, not about whether a body is healthy.
常見錯誤
5. meeting another line, curve, or surface at a right angle.
meeting another line, curve, or surface at a right angle.
The mirror should be normal to the table so the light reflects straight up.
be normal to for a ninety-degree relationship
Engineers checked whether the metal rod was normal to the surface.
On the diagram, the short blue arrow is normal to the red line.
If the fence is normal to the path, the corner will look square.
- perpendicular
the standard and more common mathematical word
- parallel
describes lines or surfaces that keep the same distance apart
文法句型
be normal to
normal to the surface
用法筆記
Mostly used in technical writing, especially with the pattern 'normal to'. Distinguish from noun sense 3, which names the line itself rather than describing its angle.
normal — noun
1. the condition or level that people treat as ordinary and acceptable.
the condition or level that people treat as ordinary and acceptable.
After the storm, buses and shops were back to normal by Monday morning.
back to normal for returning to an ordinary state
Working from home has become the new normal for many offices.
the new normal for a changed usual situation
It took Ilan weeks to feel that family life was returning to normal.
For the team, late-night video meetings became the normal during the project.
文法句型
back to normal
return to normal
the new normal
用法筆記
Most often appears in the fixed phrases 'back to normal', 'return to normal', and 'the new normal'. When used after 'return to', no article is added before 'normal'.
常見錯誤
2. a person seen as ordinary and not strange, especially when compared with people
a person seen as ordinary and not strange, especially when compared with people who stand out.
Obi said college students seemed like normals after his circus childhood.
normals for ordinary people contrasted with unusual ones
The film follows two teenagers who just want to look like normals at school.
look like a normal for blending in socially
At the costume party, Justin was the only normal in jeans and a T-shirt.
Nellie laughed that her artist friends think anyone with a desk job is a normal.
- ordinary person
more neutral and much more common
- average person
focuses on being typical rather than fitting in socially
文法句型
a normal
look like a normal
用法筆記
Informal and often slightly humorous or dismissive. Distinguish from noun sense 1: this sense names a person, while sense 1 names an ordinary state or condition.
3. a line drawn at a right angle to a curve or surface at a chosen point.
a line drawn at a right angle to a curve or surface at a chosen point.
Draw the normal from point P to the curve before you measure the angle.
draw the normal to + curve in geometry
The teacher marked the normal in blue and the tangent in red.
normal contrasted with tangent
Engineers measured the force along the normal to the metal surface.
On this graph, each normal meets the curve at only one point.
- perpendicular
broader term; it can describe either a line or an angle relationship
- tangent
in geometry, a tangent touches a curve without crossing it at that point
文法句型
draw the normal
the normal to + curve or surface
用法筆記
A mathematics and physics term. It usually appears with 'to' or 'from' to show which curve or surface the line is related to.