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
Elsewhere, strains of populism have some worried that democratic norms are under threat or already in tatters. — The Christian Science Monitor, "The green grass grows all around," 9 Aug. 2019 The norm for psychiatrists was $273,000, up 4.5%, while radiologists and neurologists started on average at $387,000 and $317,000, up some 4-5%. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, "Trouble Seeing a Specialist? Here’s What’s Driving the ‘Doctor Draught’," 15 July 2019 Whereas the norm for other official creditors is to lend at concessional terms, about 60% of Chinese loans are extended at higher interest rates and shorter maturities. — The Economist, "A new study tracks the surge in Chinese loans to poor countries," 13 July 2019 My choice to identify as non-binary is used to constantly disrupt gender constructs and gender norms. — Essence, "Indya Moore Makes History At Essence Festival 2019," 7 July 2019 While Mohseni lived there, wearing western-style dress (like jeans) was looked down upon, as was presenting in any way that was outside of strict gender norms. — Rachel Lubitz, refinery29.com, "I Was Arrested For Having Long Hair. Now I'm In A Pantene Ad.," 30 June 2019 Fifty years ago this month, the now-famous uprising at the Stonewall Inn in New York City marked a turning point for people who were forced to live in the shadows because of their sexuality or for choosing to defy gender norms. — Alicia Garza, Marie Claire, "Trans Women Don’t Want Your Sympathy. They Want to Be Treated as Human Beings.," 24 June 2019 But women are perceived much more negatively because those traits run counter to social gender norms, and thus women don't reap the same benefits in terms of career advancement. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Acting like a psychopath is great for male CEOs, not so much for women," 26 Oct. 2018 The state of emergency was the norm not the exception. — Longreads, "A Minor Figure," 20 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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