[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/suboptimal/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [S](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/s/) / suboptimal

# suboptimal

adjective (suboptimal; not usually compared)

«suboptimal» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (euphemism, jargon) not as good as it could be; in plain words, poor or bad. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suboptimal/#m1)
2. (technical) not the best possible solution in maths or computing. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suboptimal/#m2)

### In the lessons

Used in business, science and polite criticism to avoid saying "bad"; jargon, all regions. Often humorous understatement.

### Examples

- The results were suboptimal: we lost ten nil. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suboptimal/#x1)
- The weather for the picnic was suboptimal. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suboptimal/#x2)
- That route is suboptimal; the other way is shorter. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suboptimal/#x3)
- "Suboptimal" is a fancy way of saying it went wrong. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suboptimal/#x4)
- The computer found a suboptimal answer. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suboptimal/#x5)
- Forgetting your PE kit on match day is suboptimal. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suboptimal/#x6)

### Note

Often an understatement for "bad". In maths, "optimal" means best; suboptimal is anything worse than the best answer.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «suboptimal» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suboptimal/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«suboptimal» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/suboptimal.html) on Mova free.