norm
noun
\ ˈnȯrm
\
\
Definition of norm
1
: an authoritative standard : model
2
: a principle of right action binding upon the members of a group and serving to guide, control, or regulate proper and acceptable behavior
No society lacks norms governing conduct.— Robert K. Merton
3
: average: such as
a
: a set standard of development or achievement usually derived from the average or median achievement of a large group
b
: a pattern or trait taken to be typical in the behavior of a social group
studies aimed at establishing the norms of sexual behavior among the middle classes
c
: a widespread or usual practice, procedure, or custom
standing ovations became the norm Bilingualism is the norm in many countries.
4a
: a real-valued nonnegative function defined on a vector space with value analogous to length and satisfying the conditions that the function is zero if and only if the vector (see vector entry 1 sense 1a) is zero, the function of the product of a scalar and a vector is equal to the product of the absolute value of the scalar and the function of the vector, and the function of the sum of two vectors is less than or equal to the sum of the functions of the two vectors
specifically
: the square root of the sum of the squares of the absolute values of the elements of a matrix (see matrix sense 5a) or of the components of a vector
b
: the greatest distance between two successive points of a set of points that partition an interval (see interval sense 2a) into smaller intervals
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Examples of norm in a Sentence
She scored well above the norm in math.
Smaller families have become the norm.
Women used to stay at home to take care of the children, but that's no longer the norm.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Review showed the slight lift of the foot - before replay, that never would have been questioned, with in-the-vicinity the norm - and there was no doubt Romine was safe. — Susan Slusser, SFChronicle.com, "Profar, Seth Brown star again as A’s beat Yankees for fourth time," 30 Aug. 2019 At nine months, the program is longer than the norm and includes a section on basic computer science concepts. — Gregory Barber, WIRED, "Lambda School's For-Profit Plan to Solve Student Debt," 26 Aug. 2019 Trump, with the complicit approval of the Republican Party, is systematically destroying democratic norms and our democracy in the process. — Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, "Letter: US at greater risk of becoming a fascist state than socialist," 20 Aug. 2019 Church leaders have occasionally issued similar clarifications based on changing social norms and eating and drinking habits, Mason said. — Washington Post, "Java still a no-no for Mormons despite fancy coffee names," 16 Aug. 2019 In reality, self-driving cars are likely to overtake the market through a gradual shift in norms and features, a process that, Albert and Schwartz agree, has already begun. — Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, "Was the Automotive Era a Terrible Mistake?," 22 July 2019 China and Russia have done so by invading countries, annexing foreign territory and building artificial islands to stake out huge territorial claims in direct violation of international norms and rulings. — Ivo Daalder, Twin Cities, "Ivo Daalder: The real threat to liberalism is the U.S.’ unwillingness to defend it," 15 July 2019 Studies show that 80% of black women are likely to change their natural hair to conform to societal norms. — Audrey Noble, Vogue, "New York State Follows California in Banning Hair Discrimination," 15 July 2019 In these circumstances, how will norms and rules for guiding and restraining strategy be established? — The Atlantic, "The Metamorphosis," 11 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'norm.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for norm
norm
noun
English Language Learners Definition of norm
: standards of proper or acceptable behavior
: an average level of development or achievement
: something (such as a behavior or way of doing something) that is usual or expected
See the full definition for norm in the English Language Learners Dictionary
norm
noun
\ ˈnȯrm
\
\
Kids Definition of norm
2
: a common practice
norm
noun
\ ˈnȯ(ə)rm
\
\
Medical Definition of norm
: an established standard or average: as
a
: a set standard of development or achievement usually derived from the average or median achievement of a large group
b
: a pattern or trait taken to be typical in the behavior of a social group
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