normalcy

American  

[nawr-muhl-see] / ˈnɔr məl si /

noun

1. the quality or condition of being normal, as the general economic, political, and social conditions of a nation; normality.

   After months of living in a state of tension, all yearned for a return to normalcy.

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normalcy Cultural  

1. A word used by President Warren Harding to describe the calm political and social order to which he wished to return the United States after the idealism and commotion of the presidency of Woodrow Wilson.

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Discover More

Normalcy has been used as a general term for the political climate in the United States in the early 1920s.

Etymology

Origin of normalcy

First recorded in 1855–60; normal + -cy

Compare meaning

How does normalcy compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• normalcy vs. normality

Example Sentences

After living through a pandemic, new wars, political upsets, and the rise of artificial intelligence—in the first half of the decade alone—investors may feel they’re entitled to a few years of normalcy.

From Barron's

They are also considering a reopening of the Houston and Chengdu consulates—closed during the diplomatic chill of 2020—in what would signal a return to normalcy in relations between the two powers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Lula said he would not like to react to the Supreme Court decisions of another country, but hoped that Brazil's relations with the United States "will go back to normalcy" soon.

From Barron's

Lula said he would not like to react to Supreme Court decisions of another country, but hoped that Brazil's relations with the United States "will go back to normalcy" soon.

From Barron's

This move is being floated as a low-cost, high-visibility deliverable to signal a return to diplomatic normalcy, the people said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• normality
• ordinariness
• uniformity