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

He was chosen for the expedition by its leader, Swiss mountaineer Norman Dyhrenfurth, because of his experience in climbing under icy conditions, including numerous summits of Mt.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Donald Norman anticipated this, warning against designers who would mistake simplicity for good design.

From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026

Norman, who was 25 years old during filming, was one of 10,000 people who applied to what they believed was a documentary project about a small business.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

The lyrics are credited to Norman Whitfield and Eddie Holland, the latter claiming he improved Whitfield’s “awful” draft.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

If you thought that the departure of the Romans caused the British Isles to descend into mindless savagery that would not be reversed until the Norman Conquest in 1066, think again.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall