suboptimally.

In a way that falls below the applicable optimum under a specified objective and constraints.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• suboptimally allocate
• suboptimally perform

On the page

The resources were suboptimally allocated under the model’s stated objective.

The procedure performed suboptimally while still meeting the minimum requirement.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Invariable adverb; use more or most only where natural. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: scope qualification, degree qualification, criteria application, comparison. Disciplines: academic writing, analytical explanation, research interpretation. Commonness: uncommon.