Jump To:

• 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

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.

---

Norm. ² American  

abbreviation

1. Norman.

---

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

---

Norm. ² British  

abbreviation

1. Norman

---

Norm ³ British  

/ nɔːm /

noun

1. a stereotype of the unathletic Australian male

---

norm. ⁴ British  

abbreviation

1. normal

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• normless
  adjective

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

The latter is baked into the law as a discretionary grant that is, despite USCIS’s description of it as an “extraordinary relief,” closer to the norm.

From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026

That his hopefulness reads as synthetic or unrealistic is a broader indictment of how cruel the world has become, and how quickly we’ve accepted casual coldness as the norm.

From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026

Bikes, tricycles, roller skates and sidewalk games during the summer months were the norm.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

I hadn’t really thought about taking a cut for selling my friends’ things, but now I’m wondering if I should make that the norm.

From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026

This was the kind of visit space that movies and television made out to be the norm, with partitions, windows, and telephone receivers, and with both parties anguished because touching was impossible.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

Related Words

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