Meaning & use
suboptimal
Last updated
Below the best possible standard; not ideal.
See it in a sentence
The team worked with suboptimal equipment but still finished the project on time.
Sleeping only four hours a night leads to suboptimal concentration the next day.
A note on using this word
Suboptimal is common in business and technical writing as a milder, more neutral-sounding alternative to 'bad' or 'poor.'
Words with a similar meaning
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