new normal

American  

[noo nawr-muhl, nyoo] / ˈnu ˈnɔr məl, ˈnyu /

noun

1. a current situation, social custom, etc., that is different from what has been experienced or done before but is expected to become usual or typical.

   We are facing a new normal that includes raging forest fires and prolonged drought.

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Etymology

Origin of new normal

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Here’s the tough news: This could be the new normal for a while.

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

Oil prices staying at $100 a barrel as the new normal could also cap the bullion’s momentum towards $5,000 a troy ounce.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

In some ways, it’s become a new normal for Haitian Springfielders to anticipate the worst, and for their neighbors to fight against a government they see as threatening to rip their families apart.

From Salon • Apr. 30, 2026

The researchers also warned that fires fuelled by climate change have become a "dangerous new normal" which threatens to reverse the recent gains made by government efforts to tackle deforestation.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

Finding my new normal, and that my new normal is Sandy.

From "King and the Dragonflies" by Kacen Callender