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• norm
  norm

  noun

  a standard, model, or pattern.
• Norm.
  Norm.

  abbreviation

  Norman.
• Norm
  Norm

  noun

  a stereotype of the unathletic Australian male
• norm.
  norm.

  abbreviation

  normal

norm

¹ American  

[nawrm] / nɔrm /

noun

• norms
  plural

1. a standard, model, or pattern.

2. general level or average.

   Two cars per family is the norm in most suburban communities.

3. a behavior pattern or trait considered typical of a particular social group.

   The patients regained the norms of everyday life after their hospitalization.

4. Sociology. a pattern or standard of behavior expected of each member of a social group.

   In many countries, cultural norms result in women bearing primary responsibility for childcare.

5. Education.

   1. a designated standard of average performance of people of a given age, background, etc.

   2. a standard based on the past average performance of a given individual.

6. Mathematics.

   1. a real-valued, nonnegative function whose domain is a vector space, with properties such that the function of a vector is zero only when the vector is zero, the function of a scalar times a vector is equal to the absolute value of the scalar times the function of the vector, and the function of the sum of two vectors is less than or equal to the sum of the functional values of each vector. The norm of a real number is its absolute value.

   2. the greatest difference between two successive points of a given partition.

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Norm. ² American  

abbreviation

1. Norman.

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norm ¹ British  

/ nɔːm /

noun

1. an average level of achievement or performance, as of a group or person

2. a standard of achievement or behaviour that is required, desired, or designated as normal

3. sociol an established standard of behaviour shared by members of a social group to which each member is expected to conform

4. maths

   1. the length of a vector expressed as the square root of the sum of the square of its components

   2. another name for mode

5. geology the theoretical standard mineral composition of an igneous rock

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Norm. ² British  

abbreviation

1. Norman

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Norm ³ British  

/ nɔːm /

noun

1. a stereotype of the unathletic Australian male

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norm. ⁴ British  

abbreviation

1. normal

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• normless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• norms
  plural

Etymology

Origin of norm

First recorded in 1820–30; from Latin norma “carpenter's square, rule, pattern”

Explanation

A statistical average is called the norm. If you live in a town made up mostly of farmers but your trade is basket weaving, then you're outside the norm. The noun norm is from the Latin word norma, which was a carpenter's square or pattern used in construction to make regular corners. Now we use norm for anything that sets a standard. You can score within the norm on a standardized test, score above the norm on an IQ test, or fall below the norm in acceptable standards of dress if you wear a halter top and cut-off jeans to a formal ball.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

norm Norm. Norm norm. norms

Temperatures will generally be a few degrees above the seasonal norm and could possibly reach 23C in the sunniest parts of southern England.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

That doesn’t necessarily mean this new social norm of having to text before you call has serious consequences, or that phone calls are the only way to maintain friendships.

From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2026

This means oxygen-free marine habitats would have been the norm.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 27, 2026

“I guess I did miss out on high school and ‘the norm.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

When the sequence first started appearing profusely in the late seventeenth century, the norm was to cycle through just three or four chords rather than the possible chain of twelve.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

“I grew up with Uncle Norm. He told people that he changed my diapers, and I said, Uncle Norm — I was 3 years old!”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 31, 2025

“Oh Norm. Please tell me this is not true.”

From Washington Post ● Sep. 15, 2021

"Our thoughts are with all of Norm’s friends and family today and… Thank you so much for the laughs, Norm. We’ll never, ever forget them."

From Fox News ● Sep. 15, 2021

“Oh my God what is even happening. Good bye, Norm. You were never not 100% hilarious.”

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 14, 2021

The church is quite remarkable, and is one of the finest bits of Norm. work in the county.

From Somerset by G. W. Wade

It’s just before the midweek lunch rush at Langer’s Deli and owner Norm Langer is behind the already-busy sandwich counter inspecting a stack of newly sliced rye bread.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

Lawyers Norm Eisen, Mary Dohrmann and Steve Levin said in a statement Friday that the case "should never have been brought."

From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026

One called Norm Law, which has hired senior lawyers away from firms including Ropes & Gray and Sidley Austin, is powered by an AI company backed by Bain Capital and Blackstone.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

"If Mr Hearn can be charged with a felony for touching the Reflecting Pool, every American is at risk", said Norm Eisen, one of Hearn's attorneys, speaking outside the courthouse on Thursday.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

"Where's the booster coming from?" asked Norm Toshi, who was in charge of the reentry process.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

“That’s not necessarily a bearish call, but just the norm. Since 1950, 10%+ corrections have occurred 0.8 times per year on average.”

From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2025

"In these early epochs, the amount of gas around galaxies is so large that continuous star formation is the norm. But in this galaxy this process is not happening."

From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2024

"It was the norm. You got a physical injury and you would get treated. Now I do find it odd not thinking about both my physical and mental health," he says.

From BBC ● Mar. 21, 2024

“However, there is more work to be done. Gun violence is preventable, and I do not accept these incidents as the norm. We cannot afford to wait.”

From Seattle Times ● May 28, 2023

“I’m expecting to start to see all over the league as the norm. These are exciting matches that people want to come to, and they’re so much fun,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2022

Despite all the public discourse around loneliness and the need to connect, the cold call violates some of the communication norms we’ve spent decades developing.

From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2026

“It feels like they’re trying to hide behind the norms that have been created in vulnerability disclosure for this, which is a very different problem,” Cable said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

The norms between your husband and his brother were cemented far before you entered his life.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026

"Crime is still twice what it was before the pandemic, so it is better, but against historic norms, it's still extremely high," he said.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Sometimes relations with neighbouring bands were tight enough that together they constituted a single tribe, sharing a common language, common myths, and common norms and values.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

Related Words

• benchmark
• criterion
• measure
• model
• pattern
• rule