normality

American  

[nawr-mal-i-tee] / nɔrˈmæl ɪ ti /

noun

plural

normalities

1. conformity to the standard, typical, or average level, rate, condition or set of conditions, characteristics, behavior, etc..

   Any assumption of a quick return to normality and business as usual is premature.

   Surprising as it may sound, simple changes to your bed and lifestyle could prove to be the difference between severe pain and normality.

2. Chemistry. the concentration of a solution relative to that of a normal solution, one that contains one equivalent weight of the solute per liter.

   Since gram equivalent weight is the measure of the reactive capacity of a molecule, the solute's role in the reaction determines the solution's normality.

3. Statistics. the fact or property of showing a frequency distribution representable by a normal curve, a symmetrical bell-shaped curve.

   To confirm the statistical validity of the model I ran a number of diagnostics, checking for observations of influences and for normality of the distribution.

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Etymology

Origin of normality

First recorded in 1830–40; normal ( def. ) + -ity ( def. )

Compare meaning

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

• normalcy vs. normality

Explanation

When something happens that shakes up your life, you probably look forward to a return to normality, meaning the usual happenings of everyday life. To correctly pronounce normality, accent the second syllable and rhyme it with gal: "nor-MAL-ity." When you look at normality, you notice the word normal, which describes something that meets common standards. The suffix -ity means "the state of being," so normality refers to a state that is normal, something that is just as expected. Normality and normalcy are synonyms, the later associated with President Warren G. Harding, who during a speech used normalcy instead of the more common normality.

Example Sentences

“We don’t need a full return to normality in order to fade the moves of the last six weeks,” analysts led by Max Kettner, chief multiasset strategist, wrote in a note on Monday.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

If relative normality returns to energy and shipping markets then attention is likely to turn to Nvidia’s GTC developer event, being held from March 16-19.

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

"We are offering the RN what it has always dreamed of: the appearance of normality."

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

“But this surface normality sits uneasily atop a much more strained underlying environment. The disconnect between relatively calm economic and financial conditions on the one hand, and heightened geopolitical tensions on the other, is striking.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

There were fits and starts of normality, but always a specter loomed.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Related Words

• ordinariness
• uniformity