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Definition of "normalize" [normalize]

  • To make normal, especially to cause to conform to a standard or norm: normalize a patient's temperature; normalizing relations with a former enemy nation. (verb-transitive)
  • To make (a text or language) regular and consistent, especially with respect to spelling or style. (verb-transitive)
  • To remove strains and reduce coarse crystalline structures in (metal), especially by heating and cooling. (verb-transitive)
  • To become or return to normal: waiting for diplomatic relations to normalize. (verb-intransitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "normalize" in a sentence
  • "Gilead spokeswoman Cara Miller said in an e-mail the project is in keeping with the company's efforts to "normalize" testing in "traditional and non-traditional settings, and help empower local leaders to effectively communicate to their communities the value of knowing one's HIV status.""
  • "It's part of an effort to "normalize" people's attitudes toward testing, said Angela Fulwood Wood, an official with Family and Medical Counseling Service, a Southeast non-profit group that already tests about 5,000 D.C. residents a year."
  • "AgencySpy points out that although the Monitor claims to "normalize" data, it doesn't explain how their mathematical model differentiates between promotional content and genuine buzz, and mentions that internet presence might include rather arbitrary metrics like YouTube hits."