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
Truthfully, Buendia replacing the England international for the final quarter of an hour at the weekend was a refreshing deviation from the norm.
—
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
But although unfree labor was the norm, with a few exceptions there was not yet the form of permanent, heritable, racialized chattel slavery that would emerge in the Atlantic economies, especially in the 17th and 18th centuries.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
That story is increasingly the norm.
—Chris Mahoney, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026
Peggy Riccio will talk about herbs and spices that are beyond the norm.
—Staff Report, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the norm
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Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
But although unfree labor was the norm, with a few exceptions there was not yet the form of permanent, heritable, racialized chattel slavery that would emerge in the Atlantic economies, especially in the 17th and 18th centuries.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
That story is increasingly the norm.
—Chris Mahoney, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026
Peggy Riccio will talk about herbs and spices that are beyond the norm.
—Staff Report, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the norm
Cite this Entry
“The norm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20norm. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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