norm
gb/nˈɔɹm/ us/nˈɔɹm/
B2
English
~ 9700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
state
1
the usual or expected situation
What normally happens or is usual in a situation, so people expect it.
Usage pattern:
[something] is the norm
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"this is a norm"* when they mean the general usual situation. In that case, English almost always uses *"the norm"* (e.g. *"Late trains are the norm"*). Use *"a norm"* only when talking about one of several possible standards. Learners also confuse *"norm"* with *"normal"*: *"This is norm"* is incorrect; say *"This is the norm"* or *"This is normal"*.
Synonyms
standard (Emphasizes a recognized level or quality used for comparison, not always about what is common in real life.)
|
usual (Less formal and more general; describes what happens most of the time without the idea of a social or official standard.)
|
typical (Focuses on being representative of a kind or group rather than on expectations or rules.)
Antonyms
exception (Something that does not follow what usually happens or what is expected.)
|
abnormality (Stresses being very different from what is usual or expected, often with a negative tone.)
Collocations
the norm
|become the norm
|above the norm
|below the norm
|industry norm
|set the norm
Themes
daily life
|society
|business
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Remote work has become the norm in many tech companies.
- For him, working weekends is the norm, not the exception.
- In that region, heavy rain in summer is the norm.
- Short-term contracts are now the norm in the industry.
- Class sizes of over thirty students are sadly the norm in some schools.
Learner examples
- In this city, high rent is the norm.
- Online meetings are the norm in our office now.
- Long waiting times are the norm at that hospital.
Noun
C1
entity
2
social rule of behavior
A shared idea in a group about how people should act, which most people follow without it being a written law.
Usage pattern:
[group] norms about [behavior]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *"rules"* instead of *"norms"*. While similar, *"rules"* suggests something written and official, but *"norms"* are usually unwritten and informal. Learners may also say *"social normal"* instead of *"social norms"*; the correct noun is *"norm"*.
Synonyms
custom (Often refers to traditional practices; may be more visible or ceremonial than everyday behavior rules.)
|
convention (Stresses an accepted way of doing things, especially in social or professional contexts.)
|
expectation (Highlights what people think others should do, rather than the shared rule itself.)
Antonyms
deviance (Behavior that clearly goes against social norms, especially in sociology and criminology.)
|
nonconformity (Choosing not to follow the usual rules or standards of a group.)
Collocations
social norms
|cultural norms
|gender norms
|norms of behavior
|challenge norms
|break social norms
Themes
society
|culture
|behavior
|relationships
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Strict social norms make it hard for young people to express themselves freely.
- In many cultures, there are strong norms about how to greet elders.
- The campaign aims to change harmful gender norms around caregiving.
- Moving abroad forced her to learn a very different set of social norms.
- Some online communities have norms that discourage aggressive language.
Learner examples
- In this country, there are clear social norms about clothing.
- Children learn many norms from their parents and teachers.
- He broke the social norms of his village when he spoke against the leader.
Noun
technical
C2
entity
3
mathematical measure of length
In math, a rule that gives a number to a vector or object to show its length or size, following special math rules.
Usage pattern:
the norm of [a vector]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse *"norm"* with *"normal"* or *"normalize"*. In math, *"norm"* is the noun for a size measure, while *"to normalize"* is a verb meaning to change something so that its norm has a specific value (often 1). Another mistake is to call any distance a *"norm"*; a norm is defined on single elements, not pairs of points.
Synonyms
magnitude (Often used specifically for the length of a vector in basic math and physics; less general than the formal concept of a norm.)
|
length (An informal way to refer to the value of a norm for vectors; not appropriate for all abstract spaces.)
Antonyms
distance (Not a strict antonym but a related concept; distance measures between two points, while a norm measures size of a single element.)
Collocations
Euclidean norm
|L2 norm
|norm of a vector
|matrix norm
|infinity norm
|normed space
Themes
math
|science
|technology
|education
Examples
- In this course, we define the norm of a vector using the Euclidean distance.
- Minimizing the L1 norm encourages sparse solutions in the model.
- The space is complete with respect to the norm induced by this inner product.
- Different norms can lead to different notions of convergence.
- We use the infinity norm to bound the maximum error in the approximation.
Learner examples
- We can find the norm of this vector using Pythagoras’ theorem.
- The L2 norm of this vector is 5.
- In this chapter, you will learn three different norms on R³.
Grammar
Dictionary form
norm
IPA
GB/nˈɔɹm/
US/nˈɔɹm/
Syllables & stress
norm (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (norm)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: norm
- Plural: norms
Word family
Forms
norms
noun
Related words
normalize
verb B2
normality
noun
Negative and opposite forms
Advanced or less common
normative
adjective C1
normalization
noun C1
Expressions
above the norm
1/əbˈʌv ðə nˈɔɹm/
fixed phrase
higher than is usual
Higher or better than the usual level.
Examples
- Her test scores are well above the norm for her age group.
- Temperatures this month have been above the norm.
- Customer satisfaction is above the norm compared to last year.
against the norm
1/əɡˈɛnst ðə nˈɔɹm/
fixed phrase
not following what’s usual
Different from what is usual or accepted.
Examples
- Wearing bright colors was against the norm in that very formal office.
- Starting a business straight after school goes against the norm in his community.
- Her decision to stay child-free is still seen as against the norm by some relatives.
become the norm
1/bɪkˈʌm ðə nˈɔɹm/
fixed phrase
change into the usual thing
To start being what usually happens or what people now expect.
Examples
- Online shopping has become the norm for many families.
- For younger generations, using streaming services has become the norm.
- Flexible working hours are slowly becoming the norm in the company.
below the norm
1/bɪlˈoʊ ðə nˈɔɹm/
fixed phrase
lower than is usual
Lower or worse than the usual level.
Examples
- His reading skills are slightly below the norm for his age.
- Rainfall has been below the norm this season.
- The company’s profits are below the norm for the sector.
set the norm
1/sˈɛt ðə nˈɔɹm/
fixed phrase
create a standard others follow
To create a standard way of doing something that other people then copy.
Examples
- Their innovative approach set the norm for future projects.
- The company’s policies on remote work may set the norm for the industry.
- These guidelines will set the norm for safety in laboratories.
the norm
1/ðə nˈɔɹm/
fixed phrase
what usually happens
The thing that usually happens or is usual in a situation.
Examples
- Working from home is now the norm for many office workers.
- In big cities, long commutes are often the norm.
- Short-term contracts have become the norm in this field.