normal

Usual or expected, rather than unusual or special.

• We returned to our normal routine.
• Is it normal for the machine to make that noise?
• The shop will keep its normal hours during the holidays.

How to use it: normal for someone/something (This weather is normal for October.); normal to do something (It is normal to feel nervous before an interview.)

Similar words: usual, ordinary, typical

Opposites: abnormal, unusual

Common phrases: normal life, normal hours, normal behavior, perfectly normal

Healthy and behaving or working as usual, especially after illness.

• I feel normal again.
• Her appetite returned to normal after the illness.
• The doctor said his temperature was normal.

How to use it: back to normal (His breathing was back to normal after a few minutes.)

Similar words: healthy, well

Opposites: ill, unwell

Common phrases: feel normal, back to normal, normal temperature, normal appetite

Following accepted rules or a regular pattern.

• The design follows a normal pattern.
• They followed the normal procedure for approving the request.
• The database tables are in third normal form.

Similar words: standard, regular, conforming

Opposites: irregular, nonstandard

Common phrases: normal form, normal procedure, normal pattern, normal practice

Describes a number whose digits and groups of digits appear equally often in a chosen number system.

• Is this number normal in base ten?
• The researcher studied normal numbers.
• They could not prove that the constant was normal.

Similar words: customary, ordinary, standard, typical

Common phrases: normal number, normal decimal

The usual condition of something, without unusual changes or problems.

• Life is back to normal.
• Temperatures rose above normal yesterday.
• How long will it take to return to normal?

How to use it: return to normal (The town returned to normal after the storm.)

Similar words: the usual state

Common phrases: back to normal, return to normal, above normal