Wajar

Wajar is an adjective used in Indonesian and Malay to mean normal, reasonable, or appropriate. It describes things that conform to expectations, social norms, or logical sense—such as prices, behavior, or events—implying that they are not surprising or out of place. The term can function descriptively (itu wajar) or evaluatively (itu harga yang wajar).

Etymology and related forms: The word is native to Malay and Indonesian usage; the corresponding noun is kewajaran, meaning reasonableness or fairness. The phrase harga yang wajar is commonly used in business and consumer contexts to denote a fair price. In everyday speech, wajar can be intensified with modifiers such as sangat wajar (very reasonable) or cukup wajar (quite reasonable).

Usage notes: Wajar is versatile and appears in formal and informal language. It is often contrasted with tidak wajar, meaning not normal or unreasonable. In addition to describing situations, it frequently expresses normative judgments about behavior, prices, or events, aligning with ideas of fairness, rationality, and appropriateness.

Regional and contextual usage: Wajar is widely used across Indonesia and Malaysia, including media, law, economics, and everyday conversation. Its meaning is context-dependent, shifting among “normal,” “reasonable,” “appropriate,” or “fair,” depending on what is being described and the speaker’s intent.

Examples: Harga itu wajar untuk kualitas barangnya. Perilaku mereka terlihat wajar dalam situasi seperti itu. Kejadian itu wajar terjadi sesuai pola musiman.