normative

American  

[nawr-muh-tiv] / ˈnɔr mə tɪv /

adjective

1. of or relating to a norm, especially an assumed norm regarded as the standard of correctness in behavior, speech, writing, etc.

2. tending or attempting to establish such a norm, especially by the prescription of rules.

   normative grammar.

3. reflecting the assumption of such a norm or favoring its establishment.

   a normative attitude.

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normative British  

/ ˈnɔːmətɪv /

adjective

1. implying, creating, or prescribing a norm or standard, as in language

   normative grammar

2. expressing value judgments or prescriptions as contrasted with stating facts

   normative economics

3. of, relating to, or based on norms

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Other Word Forms

• non-normative
  adjective
• normatively
  adverb
• normativeness
  noun
• unnormative
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of normative

First recorded in 1875–80; norm + -ative

Explanation

Something pertaining to norms — something normal or typical — can be described as normative. Temper tantrums, whining, and even hitting are all normative behaviors — if you're three. If you're thirty, you might have a problem. The adjective normative can also mean prescribing rules or standards. The U.S. government's normative rules for living in American society mean that you have freedom of speech, for example, but you don't have the right to slander or libel someone. The words "norm" and "normal" are related to normative, which comes from the French normatif, which itself is from the Latin word norma, "a carpenter's square."

Example Sentences

Scientists tested their clocks' validity on data collected from 4,651 individuals in the Framingham Heart Study and the Normative Aging Study.

From Science Daily • Feb. 14, 2024

Normative ethics focuses on establishing norms and standards of moral conduct for effectively guiding our behavior.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

Q. Normative gender roles in a trans-cis relationship: My partner and I are getting married in a year.

From Slate • Jun. 24, 2019

Normative, in philosophical terms, means questions that concern what we “ought” to do.

From The Guardian • Oct. 19, 2014

The Historical and the Normative Sciences The two divisions of the physical and mental sciences represent our systematized submission to objects.

From International Congress of Arts and Science, Volume I Philosophy and Metaphysics by Various