suboptimal
adjective
sub·op·ti·mal
ˌsəb-ˈäp-tə-məl
variants
or sub-optimal
: less than optimal : not at the best possible level
suboptimal performance
suboptimal conditions/results/solutions
received suboptimal care
… such is life at the sharp end of evolution, where the pursuit of self-interest frequently leads to suboptimal outcomes for all concerned.—
The Economist
The EconomistTraining at sub-optimal levels fatigues you and wastes time you could have spent at the high levels you hope to achieve.—Rick Crawford
Rick Crawford
suboptimally
adverb
or sub-optimally
… countless companies perform suboptimally. They fail to capitalize on a unique competitive advantage.
—Erik Matson
Erik Matson
Examples of suboptimal in a Sentence
yes, living on junk food generally means that you have a suboptimal diet
Recent Examples on the Web
Inevitably, that leads to suboptimal solutions with less efficiency and scalability.
—Natan Linder, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
The current outbreaks in Texas indicate the suboptimal vaccine coverage.
—Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
And the ubiquity of streaming services brought the whole chain together, one suboptimal link after another, landing us in a pre-Stokowski era of audio quality grafted onto a barely fathomable utopia of access: all music, everywhere, in mediocre form.
—Michael Owen, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2025
Some residents have reported pressure to sell their property for suboptimal prices following rumors that the county would use eminent domain to seize their residences.
—Robert A. Kopack, The Conversation, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for suboptimal
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Natan Linder, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
The current outbreaks in Texas indicate the suboptimal vaccine coverage.
—Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
And the ubiquity of streaming services brought the whole chain together, one suboptimal link after another, landing us in a pre-Stokowski era of audio quality grafted onto a barely fathomable utopia of access: all music, everywhere, in mediocre form.
—Michael Owen, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2025
Some residents have reported pressure to sell their property for suboptimal prices following rumors that the county would use eminent domain to seize their residences.
—Robert A. Kopack, The Conversation, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for suboptimal
Cite this Entry
“Suboptimal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suboptimal. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
suboptimal
adjective
sub·op·ti·mal
ˌsəb-ˈäp-tə-məl
: less than optimal
a suboptimal diet
a suboptimal dose of a drug
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