Norman

American  

[nawr-muhn] / ˈnɔr mən /

noun

1. a member of that branch of the Northmen or Scandinavians who in the 10th century conquered Normandy.

2. Also called Norman French. one of the mixed Scandinavian and French people who inhabited Normandy and conquered England in 1066.

3. a native or inhabitant of Normandy.

4. Norman French.

5. Jessye 1945–2019, U.S. operatic soprano.

6. a city in central Oklahoma.

7. a male given name.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Normans.

2. noting or pertaining to a variety of Romanesque architecture built by the Normans, especially in England after 1066.

Norman ¹ British  

/ ˈnɔːmən /

noun

1. (in the Middle Ages) a member of the people of Normandy descended from the 10th-century Scandinavian conquerors of the country and the native French

2. a native or inhabitant of Normandy

3. another name for Norman French

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Normans, esp the Norman kings of England, the Norman people living in England, or their dialect of French

2. of, relating to, or characteristic of Normandy or its inhabitants

3. denoting, relating to, or having the style of Romanesque architecture used in Britain from the Norman Conquest until the 12th century. It is characterized by the rounded arch, the groin vault, massive masonry walls, etc

Norman ² British  

/ ˈnɔːmən /

noun

1. Greg. born 1955, Australian golfer: winner of the British Open (1986, 1993)

2. Jessye (ˈdʒɛsɪ). born 1945, US soprano: noted for her interpretations of Wagner and Mahler

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Other Word Forms

• non-Norman
  noun
• pre-Norman
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Norman

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Old French Normant, from Old Norse Northmathr “Northman”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Norman

“This is going to be really tricky business,” Norman Ornstein, the longtime congressional analyst, told me.

From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2026

The company’s world-premiere production is a taut, skillful adaptation of the classic Norman Maclean novella about a stalwart Westerner and his gambling-addicted brother.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

The strong cast also included Schyler Vargas, as a stalwart Norman, and Christine Taylor Price, as a bright-voiced Jessie, figuring out their own relationship and trying to help their respective brothers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

You both gravitated toward Norman Rockwell’s “The Problem We All Live With” — why did it stand out to you?

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

Across the room, Norman Bright was slumped on a bench with one ankle propped over the other knee, staring at his foot.

From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand