subnormale

Subnormale is a historical term used in Germanic-language medical, educational, and social literature to describe people whose intellectual functioning is below the typical range. The word combines sub- meaning "under" with normale "normal." In the late 19th and early 20th centuries it functioned as a descriptive label, often without precise diagnostic boundaries, and it became entangled with evolving ideas about heredity, eugenics, and segregation.

In the context of eugenics and institutional care, the designation was wielded to justify segregation, confinement, and, in some jurisdictions, coercive measures. With the rise of disability rights movements and advances in psychology and psychiatry, the label declined in use. In contemporary clinical practice, conditions that would once have been described as subnormal are identified with more precise terms such as intellectual disability or developmental disability, defined by a combination of cognitive functioning, adaptive skills, and onset during development. Modern references typically require an IQ below about 70–75 along with impairments in adaptive functioning, and emphasize a person-centered, rights-based approach.

Today, subnormale is considered obsolete and often offensive in many languages. Its use is generally avoided in professional settings, appearing mainly in historical discussions or in translations of older literature. When discussing disability, contemporary language favors specific diagnostic criteria and person-first terminology, reflecting shifts toward dignity, inclusion, and the reduction of stigma.

See also: intellectual disability, developmental disability, disability rights, DSM-5, ICD-11.