1
as in normal
what is typical of a group, class, or series sales figures that are within the norm of a store of that size

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2
as in standards
norms plural the code of good conduct for an individual or group societal norms dictate that murder is wrong

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How is the word norm distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of norm are average, mean, and median. While all these words mean "something that represents a middle point," norm means the average of performance of a significantly large group, class, or grade.

scores about the norm for fifth grade arithmetic

When is it sensible to use average instead of norm?

The synonyms average and norm are sometimes interchangeable, but average is the quotient obtained by dividing the sum total of a set of figures by the number of figures.

scored an average of 85 on tests

When might mean be a better fit than norm?

The words mean and norm can be used in similar contexts, but mean may be the simple average or it may represent value midway between two extremes.

a high of 70° and a low of 50° give a mean of 60°

When can median be used instead of norm?

Although the words median and norm have much in common, median applies to the value that represents the point at which there are as many instances above as there are below.

average of a group of persons earning 3, 4, 5, 8, and 10 dollars an hour is 6 dollars, whereas the median is 5 dollars

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of norm Teens are deeply immersed in the online world, and online spaces are quickly emerging as critical places where teens socialize and learn the rules and norms of their society. Alvin Thomas, The Conversation, 5 Sep. 2025 Undeterred by court orders over racial profiling, Bovino also revels in breaking norms. Elliot Spagat, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025 To guarantee their rule in perpetuity, pro-slavery Southerners wielded federal authority against their opponents and brazenly attacked any institution, law, practice, or norm that did not serve their purposes. Time, 5 Sep. 2025 North Vietnam introduced a two-child norm at the time, later extending it nationwide after the communist takeover of the South in 1975. Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for norm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for norm
Noun
  • After airing the third episode of its 27th season on August 20, a new South Park once again will be absent this week from Comedy Central and Paramount+, and that looks to be the new normal for the rest of the show’s 10-episode run this year.
    Dominic Patten, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2025
  • Tag fighting names are beloved for their chaotic natures, which see multiple characters popping normals, specials, or supers, and Invincible VS is no different.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 9 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The advent of short-form cricket has seen fielding standards rise rapidly in the past decade.
    James Wallace, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
  • The standards for staffing levels are based on federal regulations from the Office of Personnel Management.
    Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Simply a return to league average would’ve been a significant jump for Springer.
    Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
  • That increase was fueled largely by national revenue — television, licensing and sponsorship proceeds shared equally among the 32 franchises — which rose to an average of $433 million per team from $403 million the previous season, according to league executives.
    Michael Ozanian, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The company could work with the government to determine if a waiver could be granted without violating standards such as patient privacy, safety and consumer protection.
    Emily Wilkins, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Microsoft’s donation of DocumentDB to the Linux Foundation marks a strategic shift in the NoSQL database landscape, creating the first vendor-neutral document database standard that could reshape how enterprises approach data architecture decisions.
    Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Norm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/norm. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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