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

This is an important stretch for the Hornets, even with the unraveling of their season and the team poised to miss the playoffs again, leaving their home building empty in the spring once more — as has been the norm since 2016. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 8 Mar. 2025

This was the norm — this kind of coldness, this kind of strangeness. —Jennifer Maas, Variety, 7 Mar. 2025

The worst of this is during residency, where 80-plus hour work weeks, 24-plus hour shifts, and difficult on-call schedules are the norm. —Christopher M. Worsham, TIME, 7 Mar. 2025

This buy-the-dip reaction has been the norm over the past year, as retail traders used pullbacks as opportunities to scoop up shares at a discount while broader market momentum showed no signs of slowing. —Fred Imbert, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2025

Rhymes for the norm

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