the norm

noun

1

: an average level of development or achievement

She scored well above/below the norm in math.

2

: something (such as a behavior or way of doing something) that is usual or expected

Smaller families have become the norm.

Examples of the norm in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The new series, too, features a law-enforcement culture where disinterest in gendered violence is the norm, and cops knowingly patronize establishments that traffic underage girls. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 30 July 2026

Visits to iconic sports venues have become almost the norm for Wrexham in the Hollywood era. — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 30 July 2026

Long before multiple bride outfit changes became the norm, Lady Kitty Spencer embraced the trend in spectacular fashion. — Amanda Le, InStyle, 30 July 2026

Many of the Gulf’s solutions were designed for periods of blistering temperatures, not expecting those temperatures to become the norm. — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 29 July 2026

Rhymes for the norm

• brainstorm
• conform
• deform
• firestorm
• hailstorm
• inform
• landform
• lukewarm
• perform
• planform
• platform
• preform