Definition

1. Verb (transitive):

   • To make something normal, standard, or regular; to cause something to conform to an accepted norm, pattern, or standard.
   • To bring something back to a normal or usual state after a period of disruption or abnormality.

2. Verb (intransitive):

   • To become normal; to return to a normal, standard, or regular state or condition.

Usage and Examples

• Transitive Verb (to make normal):

  • The therapist helped him normalise his breathing after the panic attack.
  • The new policy aims to normalise relations between the two rival nations.
  • We need to normalise the data before we can run the statistical analysis.

• Intransitive Verb (to become normal):

  • After the market crash, it took years for prices to normalise.
  • His heart rate began to normalise once he started resting.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• In Statistics/Data Science: Refers to adjusting values measured on different scales to a common scale, often between 0 and 1.
  • The first step in preprocessing is to normalise the feature values.
• In Social/Political Contexts: Often used to describe the process of making a previously unusual, stigmatized, or tense situation seem normal and acceptable.
  • The movement seeks to normalise discussions about mental health in the workplace.

Variants and Related Words

• Normalize: The preferred spelling in American English. "Normalise" is the preferred spelling in British English. Both have identical meanings.
• Normalisation (Noun): The process or act of normalising something.
  • The normalisation of diplomatic ties was a historic achievement.
• Normal (Adjective): Conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected.
• Norm (Noun): A standard, model, or pattern regarded as typical.

Synonyms

• Standardise: To cause to conform to a standard.
• Regularise: To make regular or orderly.
• Stabilise: To make or become stable or steady.
• Equalise: To make uniform or equal.

Antonyms

• Abnormalise (rare): To make abnormal.
• Destabilise: To make unstable.
• Disrupt: To interrupt the normal course or unity of.

Related Phrases and Concepts

• "To normalise a situation": To bring a problematic or unusual situation back to a standard, acceptable state.
  • The ceasefire agreement is the first step to normalising the situation in the region.
• "The new normal": A phrase describing a previously unusual condition that has become standard or expected.
  • Working from home has become the new normal for many people.

Verb

1. make normal or cause to conform to a norm or standard
   • normalize relations with China
   • normalize the temperature
   • normalize the spelling
2. become normal or return to its normal state
   • Let us hope that relations with this country will normalize soon