normative

adjective

nor·​ma·​tive ˈnȯr-mə-tiv How to pronounce normative (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or determining norms or standards
normative tests
2
: conforming to or based on norms
normative behavior
normative judgments
3
: prescribing (see prescribe sense 1) norms
normative rules of ethics
normative grammar
normatively adverb
normativeness noun
Thus the normativeness of truth is preserved, along with its transcendence of what is presently assertible … Colin McGinn
normativity noun
plural normativities
In our world of shifting gender normativity and embrace of non-traditional expression, the beauty world is reaching out to men—both with products that fit into masculine grooming routines, and ones that break all barriers. Samuel Hine
… notes that speaking up about being abused or assaulted is an opportunity to challenge the normativity of sexual violence. Leslie Sarinana

Examples of normative in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There are normative models about how people should behave and then there is how people actually behave. London Business School, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 The normative assumption of Medicare policymakers has been physicians will simply increase their volumes — i.e., perform more services than patients actually need — to make up the shortfall. Jeff Goldsmith, STAT, 17 Jan. 2024 Other researchers note that sludge content can provide environments that are ideal for normative dissociation, or putting a brain on autopilot mode. Anna Mattson, Scientific American, 10 Jan. 2024 According to Zola’s 2024 First Look Report, 83% of couples are challenging the normative expectations tied to the wedding day, from toxic diet culture to the expectation that brides will change their last name. Boutayna Chokrane, Vogue, 13 Dec. 2023 In tart scenes poking at doctor consultations, psychiatric sessions and legal snafus — the institutional hoops where binary, normative strictures are most assertive — Preciado dexterously implies these gauntlets push life’s fictions. Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 17 Nov. 2023 Their goal is to goal to create accessible fitness spaces for those whose bodies and identities rebel against normative definitions of beauty and health. Hannah Dylan Pasternak, SELF, 14 Nov. 2023 However, whole generations who have been online since birth—sometimes unwillingly—could grow up to be more sensitive to the downsides of posting without permission, prompting a normative shift. WIRED, 28 July 2023 Impact on individuals, organizations, and society, ethical and normative concerns, bias in data, algorithmic bias, and regulatory issues. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 17 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'normative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French normatif, from norme norm, from Latin norma

First Known Use

1852, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of normative was in 1852

Dictionary Entries Near normative

Cite this Entry

“Normative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/normative. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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